12 Dates Of Christmas
by catherine84
Summary: Unsure of what to get Edward for Christmas, Bella embarks on a mission to give him what they missed out on during the beginning of their relationship. AH/AU.
1. Presents

**Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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**December 12.**

I was extremely frustrated. It was a fortnight until Christmas and I still had no idea what to get my boyfriend Edward for Christmas. He wasn't helping either. He kept telling me that he didn't want anything for Christmas, he had me and I was enough. I would have agreed if I didn't already know that he had bought me something. Something he was being overly secretive about.

So here I was standing in a huge department store, wandering around the aisles half-heartedly. I continuously picked things up and put them down, while shoppers where running madly around me. The shop was extremely full of people, yelling and screaming at each other. People were fighting over the last appliances on the shelves; one claimed ownership because they _saw_ it first. This wasn't a safe place for a clumsy person like me. I had already been knocked to the floor twice by people who had their hands too full to see where they were going. I was in the process of putting an electric toothbrush back on the shelf when it was taken out of my hand before I had even released it.

"You weren't taking that were you?" An old lady asked sweetly.

"N-no," I stammered. "Take it."

I decided I'd had enough and began to leave the store. Besides I doubted that I would find something here that would convey what I felt for him when words couldn't even do the trick.

Edward and I had met in high school, when his sister Alice became my best friend. I was always attracted to him, but initially he seemed very cold towards me. He avoided me at all costs, which made it difficult when I used to stay at theirs for sleepovers. I thought he hated me, although Alice constantly tried to reassure me that he didn't. It was hard to believe her when every time he saw me he seemed too brooding, staring at me with his beautiful green eyes before running off somewhere else. The really sad thing was I liked him. A lot. Alice always told me stories about her and Edward that make me laugh or smile. She always made him sound so sweet. Those stories only made me fall for him more, although I never told Alice. I wasn't sure how she would take me liking her big brother.

Years passed and my silly crush never faded. Edward was a senior, about to graduate and leave for college somewhere far away from here. It broke my heart knowing this, which seemed stupid since I had barely ever talked to the guy. All that time he never had a girlfriend, which surprised both Alice and me. He was an extremely attractive guy, with bronze tousled hair, mesmerising green eyes, and the body of an underwear model. Added with his charming and gentle manner, well to everyone but me, it just didn't make sense. Especially when he had girls practically throwing themselves at his feet, but he never dated any of them. Then, finally one day, when senior prom was just around the corner, things changed.

_"Bella," said a voice behind me. I knew that voice, I had been dreaming about it for years. _

_I turned around. "Yes?" I asked, expecting him to relay some message from __Alice__._

_"Hi, um, how are you?" His face was anxious and his eyes keep dancing as they looked at my face._

_"Oh. Fine, I guess. Did __Alice__ send you over?" I asked glancing around the large cafeteria to see where she was._

_"No. No, __Alice__ didn't send me. I just wanted to ask you something. I've been meaning to ask you for some time, but I didn't, and well I didn't want to leave it until the last minute."_

_I peered up at his face, trying to read what he was thinking. What could he possibly want to ask me? Maybe I accidentally took something of his, and now he wants it back. Or maybe it was something to do with school. I waited to hear what he had to say._

_"I was um, wondering if you would, by any chance, would like to be my date to prom?"_

_My jaw fell open in shock. This was what he wanted to ask me? My throat seemed to be sucked dry of air making it impossible to answer. He must have misread my expression._

_"That's ok, you don't have to," he said turning away._

_His movement did the trick, air whooshed back into my lungs as I reached out to grab his arm. "Edward, wait."_

_He turned back, his eyes sad._

_"I'm sorry, I just never expected you to ask that question. Of course I would like to go to prom with you." My voice sounded hopeful._

_His eyes lit up as he smiled. "Great, wonderful."_

_I nodded, smiling too. Then we stood there like that, staring and smiling idiotically at each other for moment until the bell for class rang. Students streamed around us as I tried to wait for as long as I possibly could before leaving. _

_"Well I guess I should get to class," I said defeated._

_"Yeah, me too. I'll see you around Bella."_

_"Bye Edward."_

That was the moment when I realised that he might actually like me. I spent that night thinking that it had to be an awful joke. However, the next day he came and talked to me again, and he continued to do so every day until prom. Conversation flowed easily between us, and I found out that the only reason he had avoided me all this time, was because he liked me and didn't think that I would feel the same. I told him that type of thinking was stupid, as if I couldn't like him, he was perfect. He was everything I wanted.

Prom night was exhilarating. He arrived at my house in a limo, and dressed in a black tuxedo, matching skinny tie, and a crisp white button down shirt. He gracefully asked my dad Charlie if he could escort me to the prom, before whisking me off to our destination. He complemented me immensely on my sky-blue, deep-plunge dress and curled hair, and I in turn did the same. I don't remember much of the actual prom, only being in Edward's arms for most of the night. The only time he left me was when they crowned him prom king. He did the obligatory dance with the queen, and came back to me as soon as he could. We shared our first kiss that night. It was sweet and lingering, everything I imagined a first kiss to be. We've shared many more similar kisses since then, and others that are laced with fire and passion.

Shivers ran down my spine remembering all of our firsts, as if I was there experiencing them again. Although my love for Edward was still as strong as it was back then, time changes things, and desires grow dormant in place of other things.

My mobile rang, diverting my attention as I once again tried to make my way through the crowds and out of the shopping complex. It was Alice.

"Hey pixie girl!" I said as I picked up.

"Hey yourself," she giggled. "So, have you found anything for Edward yet?"

I sighed. "No. Nothing seems to be catching my eye. Plus these people are mad Alice. I saw two men fighting over a doll. How sad is that? Only at Christmas time!"

"Oh Bella, you need to learn how to make a competition out of it. It's a sport, that's all it is."

I laughed. It was easy for her to say, she was small enough to duck under everyone and make it to the front of the line. "You should know by now what I'm like at sports Alice. There is no way that I would be any good at this one."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Honestly, I have no idea, but I guess I still have time to think of something. Are you sure you don't know what he got me? It would make it so much simpler."

"No, I don't," I could hear the irritation in her voice. Alice didn't like to be kept in the dark. "He's being pretty good about not mentioning anything, even when I try to catch him off guard. I might have to engage Emmett in my battle plan." Emmett was Edward's best friend.

"Battle plan," I questioned. "It sounds like war Alice." I giggled to myself, imagining her bossing Emmett around like a soldier.

She whined, "It is Bella. He knows I don't like secrets, and he's doing everything he can to keep this from everyone. I'll find out before Christmas if it's the last thing I do."

I laughed and listened to her continue her plans, and talk about her weekend plans with her boyfriend Jasper. I um'ed and ah'ed along to what she was saying, half listening as I tried hard to focus on staying upright as people shoved past me. I finally made it out to my car as she said goodbye. I sat behind the wheel, relieved to make it out alive and tried to assess myself for bruises. I could feel one coming up on my hip which was going to be big and nasty. I sat in the car for a while, just thinking, and staring out into the open car-park. When I pulled myself back, and when my eyes refocused, I noticed a huge poster for a romantic-comedy that was meant to come out this holiday season. There was advertising for this movie everywhere. On Television, radio, the internet, even the subway. It was called Twelve Days of Christmas, and was based on a book of the same name, about a new couple fumbling their way one relationship disaster after another, and getting it together just in time for Christmas. I had considered seeing it, if only for novelty purposes since I had read and liked the book, but I couldn't imagine Edward wanting to watch it with me. We were complete homebodies now, hardly ever stepping out of the house. It didn't really bother either of us, but part of me was beginning to think we were getting too comfortable with that lifestyle. We rarely went out on 'dates' anymore.

That's when it hit me. I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of such a thing earlier. It was perfect. I would need Alice's help on this one. Excited, I rang her to share my news.


	2. Leaving Home

**Author's Note:** All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

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**December 13.**

I was at Alice's house, trying to figure out the best way to get my present idea to work. It would take a lot of careful planning to pull it off. I just hoped that Edward would be a willing participant in this. Part of me was worried that this could go dreadfully wrong, particularly when Alice mentioned that I couldn't live in the same house as him until Christmas.

"What! Why?" I demanded.

"Well because it just wouldn't be right if you were still sleeping in the same bed. It would defeat the purpose." Alice said matter-of-factly.

I considered what she had just mentioned and conceded that she was right. "Well what should I do then? Sleep on the couch?"

"No, I'm not sure that would work either." She paused to think, then snapped her fingers and exclaimed eagerly, "You can stay here! It's perfect. He'll know where you are, and not have to worry."

I bit my lip, "I think that he'll worry anyway Alice. It is Edward after all. He might think that something is wrong."

"Don't worry, we'll reassure him that it's for his own good. He'll appreciate it soon enough. Trust me Bella, he'll love this idea."

Alice was eternally optimistic about everything. I on the other hand tended to agonise over the little things a lot. As much as I was excited about enacting my present, I wasn't self-assured enough to think that I was making a good decision. Although I did know that once I set the wheels in motion it would be silly to go back.

"It'll be ok. I promise," Alice said, crossing her heart. "I mean how often do you get the chance to relive your first dates?"

"That's just it Alice, we never got to experience those things. We kind of just skipped over them."

"Either way, I wish I had thought of it. I would love to experience those moments with Jasper again," her voice trailed off as her eyes glazed over. No doubt thinking about all of the dates that Jasper and her had shared. It made me slightly envious, but I knew I was about to change that.

After prom Edward and I didn't spend that much time together. He was getting ready to graduate, and I was studying for finals. It was difficult not being able to be together much, so I stayed at Alice's a lot just to see him. It helped that I could tell my Dad I was going there to study with Alice, otherwise I'm not certain that he would have be so consenting. That summer I had to go stay with my Mum, which meant three weeks without seeing him. Then, to make it worse, less than a week after I came home, Edward had to move interstate to go to college. It was heartbreaking. I feared then that our relationship was doomed to fail, simply because we were constantly pulled away from each other. However we kept in contact by talking everyday on the phone, and by texting each other constantly. I even wrote him a letter once a week, and poured as much of my heart as I could into it. They were always corny and pathetically romantic, but Edward told me he enjoyed them, so I kept writing them. We continued communicating like this for a year, until Edward came home for the summer. We threw ourselves into spending all of the free time that we could together, but happenstance meant that we had to fight for it. Edward's parents wanted to see the son who had been away studying his first year of law, and I had to work so I could save for college. Thankfully, I got accepted into the same institution as Edward, which meant I wouldn't have to be away from him for another year. It had taken a lot of persuasion on my behalf to convince my parents to allow me to go. They wanted me to study somewhere closer to home. I was grateful that the course on Conservation Biology which I wanted to do was highly recommended there. Edward and I decided to break the news to them after we had left that we intended on living together. My Dad would have never let me go if I had let him know beforehand.

In the simple flurry of wanting to always be around each other, we had never actually gone on any dates. We had completely skipped over the courting process of our relationship, and flung ourselves head first into cohabited bliss. I didn't mind one bit, and neither did Edward to my knowledge. We were just finally happy to be able to spend as much time as we wanted together. Most importantly, we could spend time alone. My plan was to now give Edward what we had missed out on during that first year. The awkward first date; the anticipated second; the make-or-break third; and so on. I wanted him, us, to experience what I saw my friends experience every time they meet someone new. Who knows, it might even snap us out of the homeliness rut we were so dangerously close to becoming stuck in. It wasn't going to be easy. In fact, I wasn't actually sure that I could come up with enough ideas to last until Christmas. Or if I could even last that long being away from him, since we had hardly been apart since that first year. I had stayed with him until he finished his degree and had received an internship back in our home town, even though his degree took longer than mine. To be separated from Edward was not on my list of favourite things to do. But here I was, planning to move in with Alice temporarily.

I spent the rest of the day with Alice thinking of ideas for dates, and trying to figure out how to make sure that Edward would go along with what I was planning to do. It took a while, but by the time I needed to go home, I think we had it sorted. I had decided to butter Edward up by cooking him a nice meal, so that he wouldn't feel unloved. Even though it was a Saturday, Edward still had to go into work. It was one of those unfortunate things that this time of year demanded. I hauled our old suitcase out of the garage when I got home, and stashed it in our wardrobe. I didn't want to start packing before telling him I was going to Alice's, just in case he got the wrong idea. I heard his car pull into the driveway just as I was taking the Shepard's Pie out of the oven. The sound of his key unlocking the front door sent my heart fluttering. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself before I faced him. I raised my hands in front of me to find that they were shaking. It was unbelievable how anxious I was, and I hadn't even told him yet.

He called my name as he took off his thick woollen coat in the hallway, but I refused to go greet him. Instead I told him I was in the kitchen. He came into the room, gave me a peck on the cheek and asked what I was cooking.

"Right now, chocolate sauce for dessert," my voice sounded shaky.

I glanced over at him as he walked towards the countertop where my baking dish held dinner. His hair was dishevelled from all the snow that had fallen in it, making him look like he used to when he was younger. These days it would be formal and side-parted, to make him look professional at the office. I felt a pang in my stomach as I remembered how much I used to love running my fingers through his hair. It was something that I rarely did anymore. I turned my attention back to the sauce, my eyes smarting. As I continued to stir the sauce, out the corner of my eye I saw Edward stick his finger into the mashed potato, take a dollop and eat it.

"Edward!" I scolded.

He grinned at me sheepishly. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. You know how much I love Shepard's Pie."

I rolled my eyes. He could be such a kid sometimes.

"So is there a special occasion that I missed? You seem to be doing an awful lot for dinner tonight. Well, more than usual," he added.

I avoided eye contact, "no, no special reason. I just wanted to do something nice for a change."

He seemed to miss the edge of hysteria in my voice.

"Ok, well I'm going to take a quick shower first before we eat." With that, he left the room. I heard the shower turn on a few moments later.

I had decided that we would eat at the dining table tonight, which was something we wouldn't normally do. Dinner was mostly chowed down in front of the television, usually with some sporting event playing. Baseball was Edward's favourite to watch, and my least. Food was known to end up on the walls, or squished into the carpet whenever one of the players did something good, or extremely bad. I occupied myself with setting the table, and dishing out a generous portion of food to Edward. He had an appetite that was never quite satisfied. Noise coming from the living room told me that Edward had finished his shower and was settling in for the night. I walked in to find him sprawled out on the couch, wearing a long sleeved, grey thermal shirt and black slacks. This vision reinforced the thought in my head that we were becoming far too content with our lives. He barely glanced up at me as I approached him.

"I thought we could eat in the dining room tonight Edward." I said quietly.

He turned his head slowly in my direction, his face filled with confusion. "Ok," he said nodding.

I turned and walked out of the room. He switched the television off and followed me. He sat at one end of our six-seated table, and I took the chair on his left hand side. I had barely picked up my fork when he started to shovel the food into his mouth. I sat there staring at him for a moment, until he said "what" with a mouthful of food.

I sighed. "Edward, don't you ever get the feeling that we're too comfortable around each other? That we rarely do anything exciting anymore?"

He paused with his spoon halfway to his open mouth. "No," he answered. "Not really. Is everything ok Bella?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm just being stupid." I had decided I would wait until dessert to tell him. No point in spoiling a good meal.

We ate in silence, with Edward constantly glancing at me with a slight worried look. I did my best to look like I was enthralled in my meal, but the truth was I wasn't all that hungry. My stomach was knotted, and a lump was forming in my throat making it hard to swallow. I had to keep constantly reminding myself that this would be good for us, but the way he kept looking at me made me feel extremely guilty. As soon as I could, I cleared the table and brought out the pudding and chocolate sauce for dessert. As I poured the sauce over Edward's helping, he stared at my face. I tried to give him a small smile, but it would have been more of a grimace. He grabbed my arm before I could turn away.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He asked softly. "You haven't been yourself all night. Did something happen? Has that Jacob guy been messaging you again?"

Jacob was a work colleague, who was really a decent guy but had been keen on me since I had started working with him. Edward wasn't particularly fond of him.

"No, it not him. It's us." Whoa, that sounded bad. He released my arm as if it was hot to touch, and his face took on a slightly horrified look. I knew I would have to clarify quickly. "You and I have been together so long, seven years in fact, and I think we're beginning to take things for granted. I'm scared that one day we'll wake up and have nothing to say to each other because we don't spend as much time together as we used to."

He furrowed his brow, "I don't understand Bella. We spend a lot of time together."

"_At home_ Edward, we spend a lot of time at home. And most of it we're watching tv, or something like that. We barely spend any personal time together. I can't even remember the last time we went out."

He started to spin his spoon, trying to focus on something else. He looked slightly dejected. "Do you want us to go out more often?"

"Yes," My voice was quiet. "And no. I want... I want to have what we had when we first got together. Do you remember how we used to fight tooth and nail against our parents to spend time together?" He nodded. "I want us to have that fire again."

I sat down. This was it. I had to tell him now. The tension that was building between us was becoming almost too much to take. I had to fight the tears that were threatening to fall.

I took a deep breath. "Edward, I'm going to do something, and I need you to understand that no matter how it looks, that it's not a bad thing. You have to know that I would never hurt you. I love you too much."

I almost lost it then and there, watching as his face began to fall. I knew he was thinking the worst already. I bit my quivering lip and forced the words out of myself.

"I'm going to stay with Alice for a few days."

"What?" he demanded. I couldn't look at him, my eyes dropped to the plate in front of me.

"It's just for a short time. Just while I do something," My voice was so shaky, and the lump in my throat was rising.

"While you do what?"

"I can't - I can't tell you right now. But please Edward, trust me." I finally looked at him, my eyes pleading. He was in a worse shape than I was. He hand now gripped the spoon so tightly that his knuckles were white. A single tear rolled down his face.

"Are you leaving me Bella?"

"No!" I exclaimed, jumping up from my chair. I knelt down beside him, taking his face in my hands. I wiped his tear away as mine started to spill. "I'm not leaving you. Not now, or ever. I need you to believe me. Do you trust me?" He nodded, his face still in my hands.

"Do you trust this?" I gently tugged his face down to mine and kissed him. It was a ferocious kiss. I put all the emotion that I could into it, trying to convince him that I was still his. He seemed to sense this and kissed me back with just as much passion. I had to catch my breath when our lips parted.

He leant his forehead against mine. "Yes, I trust that."

I tore my face away and peered up at his. "It's for a good reason, I promise. I love you."

"I love you too."

He pulled me up to embrace me, which left me standing awkwardly. He hugged me so tight I could barely breathe.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," he whispered into my ear. "I wish I knew what was going on in your mind now. I wish you could tell me. It frightens me that you can't."

"Don't. Please don't be. All I can tell you is that Alice and I are cooking up something for you. Ok?"

He pulled back and shook his head. "That little menace. I'll have to have words with her."

I laughed. "She means well. She is your sister after all."

Edward grunted. I stood up properly, kissed him on the forehead, and went back to my chair.

"So when are you leaving?" He asked taking a bite of the pudding.

I hesitated before answering. "Tonight."

"Tonight!" He exclaimed, almost choking on his food.

"Yes."

"Huh. Well that explains dinner then doesn't it?"

I gave him a shy smile, "I wanted make sure that you knew I still cared about you."

We finished dessert, and I went upstairs to pack. I expected him to go back to watching television, but instead he came upstairs with me. I dragged the suitcase out of the wardrobe while he waited in the doorway of our room. He raised his eyebrows when he saw that I had already brought it inside.

"How long have you been planning this for," he asked. There was a note of pain in his voice.

"Only a couple of days. Well actually, it was really only today. Alice kind of pointed out that it wouldn't work if I stayed here."

His face grew stern when I mentioned his sister again. I was going to have to warn her before he saw her next. It was very apparent that he wasn't happy with her.

"Can you at least give me a hint?" His eyes followed me as I wandered around the room, grabbing various items to take with me.

"You'll find out tomorrow night Edward." I answered reassuringly.

"What's tomorrow night?"

I could tell he was still doubtful. "It's a surprise," I said dumping the rest of my clothes in the suitcase and closing it, "you'll have to wait and see."

Frustration showed clearly on his face which made me giggle. He threw me a dirty look and advanced towards me.

"Are you laughing at me Miss Swan?" He asked in a playful tone, coming closer still.

"No," I replied, "I'm giggling."

"Do you think this situation is funny?" He was right in front of me now, staring down into my eyes.

"No. I think your reactions are." There was something in his eyes that made my heart beat faster.

"Is that so?" A smile crept onto his face.

"Yes," I squeaked.

The grin grew wider. "Well I might have to do something about that."

He started to run his fingertips lightly up and down my arms as he spoke. I trembled from the touch. He shifted his face downwards, in a movement to kiss me. At the last moment though, he changed his mind. Instead of kissing me on the lips, he grazed his nose along my jaw and placed light kisses on my neck. As he did so, my breath caught and I closed my eyes. I went to move my arms and place them around him, but he locked his hands around my wrists and held them tight at my sides. He continued to kiss my neck, moving away every time I tried to kiss him back. It made my heart race with desire, and I wanted nothing more than to pull him backwards onto the bed behind me. This was not the Edward who I was used to now; this was an Edward reminiscent of my teenage years, of times when we were about to be separated from one another. If my moving out brought out this side of him, I would gladly do it more often.

Just when I thought I couldn't take his teasing any more, his lips led back up to my mouth, gently pressing his lips against mine. He withdrew from the kiss before I could react properly and released my wrists. I moved to grab him as I opened my eyes, but I only caught air. He had already created a gap between us. I didn't hide my confusion. I gave him a questioning look which only served to make him show me his crooked smile.

"I'm just making sure you come home Bella."

I suddenly realised what he had been doing. He wasn't going to let me go without a fight, and he knew how to fight well.

"I'm still leaving Edward. This isn't going to stop me," I said, even though I was so close to staying. He knew what worked with me.

"Well I guess I should help you then," he responded bitterly as he walked past me and grabbed the suitcase from the bed.

I could tell that was the final blow for him. It didn't matter how much he trusted me, I was still leaving despite his efforts, and it hurt him to watch me go. He took my suitcase out to my car and placed it in the trunk. I was hot on his heels.

"Edward," I started when I reached him outside.

He interrupted me, "Don't! I'll only understand when you tell me what's going on."

I could only nod in response. The lump was returning to my throat.

"So that's it then?" He asked. It sounded like he was saying goodbye. Not a 'until next time' goodbye; it sounded like a 'forever' goodbye.

I shook my head. "No," I choked out. "It's not goodbye Edward. You _will_ see me tomorrow. Just… go along with whatever happens. Please?"

He didn't answer. His face was set in a grimace. I reached up one last time and kissed him on the lips. He didn't move or react to my touch. That sent me over the edge. I shut my eyes as I drew myself away. I couldn't bear to look at him again. I got in the car, with tears streaming down my face. This was exactly what I was afraid of. I could only hope to redeem myself over the next few days. I started the car and pulled out of the driveway. When I had reached a few houses down I made the mistake of looking back in the rear vision mirror. He was watching me drive away, unmoving, with his hands clenched into fists; and his face, it was drawn with so much pain, hurt and anger, I wasn't sure I could ever make it right.


	3. Snow Day and First Date

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

_Thanks to Hayz for being my beta._

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**December 14.**

I awoke the next morning stiff and sore from being curled up in the fetal position all night. My eyes were caked with sleep from crying. I felt like I had a hole in my chest. Like somebody had ripped out my heart. I guess I believed I deserved it. I felt that I had torn Edward's out with my actions, so it was only fair to feel the same. I wondered how he had slept, if he even slept at all. These thoughts brought on new waves of tears. Today was going to be impossible to get through. Thank goodness it was Sunday and I didn't have to go to work today.

The car journey to Alice's last night was marginally hazardous from not being able to see the road properly. I had to stop several times to try and control myself. Alice opened the door to a blubbering mess, and had to drag me inside. It had taken her over an hour to console me. She ended up calling Edward in an effort to comfort me, despite my warnings about how aggravated with her he had seemed. She left the lounge room where we were sitting to make the call, so that I couldn't listen to the conversation. I did hear her raise her voice a few times, but when she returned she had a smile on her face. She told me Edward would be ok. For some reason I didn't believe her. It was difficult to get the image of his face as I drove away out of my mind. I eventually somehow made it to her spare room in an effort to get some rest. At first I just lay on top of the covers of the soft bed, my mind constantly teetering on the edge of panic. When the cold finally started to settle inside the house, I crawled under the blankets, not bothering to change into my pyjamas. At some point between three and four am, I fell asleep.

Alice's chirpy voice came floating into the room, calling me to get out of bed. I huddled deeper under the covers, muttering for her to go away. The bed springs groaned as she sat down on the mattress.

"Bella, the day isn't going to go away if you stay under there."

"I don't want to come out." I sounded like a child.

Her voice was gentle. "If you stay there, you'll just dwell and make it worse for yourself. Come out with me. We'll have fun today."

I pulled back the covers. "Where are you going?"

She smiled and began to bounce up and down. "I'm shopping for Jasper's present."

"Haven't you already bought him something?"

"Yes," she laughed. "But there is always more that I can get him."

"Do you have anything in mind?"

"Not really, I know when I'll see it. Besides, we can go get pampered while we're there."

I groaned. Pampering or any girly stuff like that was not my forte. Then I remembered my shopping encounter the other day and I groaned again. "I'm not sure I can handle those crowds again Alice."

She pouted. "Well I'm not staying here with 'Miss Mopey'."

"Let's do something fun, like we used to when we kids," I suddenly suggested. She was right, I couldn't stay in here all day, but I needed something more exhilarating than gift hunting to lift my mood.

"What exactly are you proposing?"

"Snow day?" I said thinking.

Alice crinkled her nose. "May-be." She drew the word out, making it sound like two instead of one. "If that's what it takes to get you out of here."

I nodded.

"Ok," she sighed. "Let's have breakfast, and then we'll head out."

We rushed through breakfast, and changed into our thick snow gear. I had to borrow some of Alice's clothes since I hadn't thought to bring appropriate ones of my own. We headed to a park where we used to sled and have snowball fights when we were adolescents. I couldn't actually remember the last time that I had ventured out here. It had a large hill, with one steep and one gentle slope. Trees lined the perimeter sparsely about ten metres from the base of the hill. It was the main place for kids to come when the snow was thick enough, and today was one of those days. We were the only adults there.

Alice had brought her sled which was big enough for the two of us. Normally, you would put the heaviest person at the front, namely me, but with my knack for being the world's biggest klutz, it would mean we could never make it to the bottom without falling off. So Alice always sat at the front. She didn't mind, she enjoyed steering the sled as close as she could to the trees while I screamed and tried to hide my face in her shoulder. Alice was a daredevil. We took turns with the kids in sliding down the gentle side. Some of them snickered at us until they saw how crazy Alice's manoeuvring was. Others challenged us to races and were excited when they beat us. As the day wore on I could tell Alice was getting antsy with sticking to the moderate side of the hill. When we were younger she would always try to convince me to go down the steep side. I did once and ended up falling off and hitting a tree. I broke my arm from the force and refused to go down again.

"No, I won't do it." I said to her when I saw the gleam in her eye.

"Please!" She begged. "Just once I promise."

I rolled my eyes. Arguing with Alice was like fighting bear off – damn near impossible to win. I could be quite stubborn myself though. We began to squabble while a bunch of children gathered around us. One of them called me a chicken, and several others followed suit, making clucking noises to annoy me further. Alice began to laugh at me for being picked on by kids and I started to get frustrated.

"Fine Mary Alice!" I shouted, using her first name which I knew she hated. "If I hurt myself like last time, on your head be it. You can explain to Edward why I'm coming home broken and battered." I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I realised that I wouldn't be going home to him like I was used to.

She gave me a menacing look. "You're on Swan, except…" she paused for dramatic effect, "you can steer."

I gulped. This was sure to end badly. I struggled enough trying to get down the easy side in one piece. "Ok, let's do this."

My heart started to race as fear made adrenaline pump through my blood. We moved the sled to the tip of the steep edge and I sat in the front taking the rope in my hands. The children were now cheering us on, yelling and screaming for us to go. Alice was standing behind the sled, waiting for my cue so she could give us a push and jump on. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and said 'go.' I was suddenly flying down the hill. My eyes flew open, and I tried my hardest to keep the sled going straight. I heard screaming and realised that it was me. Something didn't feel quite right as I raced towards the trees, but I was too distracted to think. I finally reached the bottom in one piece, managing to avoid all of the trees, and came to a stop. I leapt up, ready to celebrate with Alice when I became aware that she wasn't behind me. I glanced upwards to the top of the hill to see her doubled over in laughter. My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe what she had just done. I was going to get her back. I refused to take the sled back up, instead I stood my ground angrily with my arms crossed. She started down the hill when she caught on that I wasn't coming up to her. Her grin made me fume more.

"Something wrong Bella?" She asked when she reached me. I glared at her in response.

She walked over to the sled and pretended to inspect it for damage. When she had her back turned to me, I took my chance. I picked up a handful of snow, mushed it quickly into a ball, and threw it at her head. I missed of course, hitting her in the shoulder. She spun around quickly, a fierce stare on her face. Without saying a word, she stooped and made a snowball. I backed away, never taking my eyes off of her. I couldn't help but smirk as she glared at me, watching me closely as I tried to move away. Suddenly, without warning, she hurled the snowball at me. It splattered into the side of my head as I attempted to evade it. My hair was now matted with snow, and ice was trickling down my neck. For someone so small she threw quite hard. I recovered as quickly as I could and made another one. Alice was quicker, but I managed to dodge hers this time; my effort hit her on the thigh. I was in the middle of making another one when something smacked into my back. I turned around and was pelted with half a dozen other snowballs. I instinctually lobbed the one I had in my hand at the group of kids who had thrown theirs at me, hitting one in the chest. Alice roared with laughter and then screamed:

"Let's get them Bella!"

She ran up to me and handed me one of the two snowballs she had clenched in her hands. We chased the kids around, pelting them with snowballs as fast as we could make them; we ended up being hit more often since we were outnumbered. Eventually we fell into an exhausted heap, laughing hysterically. After we had calmed down, Alice looked at her watch and announced that it was time to go. She had to get me home and ready for my 'first date' with Edward. We said goodbye to the children and they asked if we were coming back tomorrow. I told them not likely since we had to work. There was a chorus of 'aw's' to which Alice and I smiled at.

I began to get butterflies in my stomach on the journey back to Alice's house. I wondered what Edward's reaction to me would be. I had my fingers crossed that he wouldn't still be mad. Alice seemed to sense my anxiety.

"You have no reason to stress Bella. Once everything is explained to him, he'll see that your actions were necessary." She seemed very secure in her statement.

"I wish I had your optimism," I said in a low voice.

"You should Bells. Both of you should. It's not all doom and gloom. You two are pretty much the perfect couple."

I disagreed. "Well, apparently not. He doesn't seem secure enough with me to realise this isn't about hurting him."

"That's because he's my idiotic brother. He'll get over it."

We pulled into her driveway and saw Jasper standing by his car. Alice made a little squeal, and jumped out of the car. She ran up to him and gave him a long kiss. I stood awkwardly by Alice's car, waiting for them to finish when she grabbed him by the hand, and led him to the front door, seemingly forgetting that I was here. I grudgingly followed them inside and immediately met with Alice's high pitched voice telling me to get a move on. When I reached my room, I flung open my suitcase and attempted to find something to wear. My first thoughts were to wear something comfortable since we were just going for a casual dinner, but then I realised that I should dress in something impressionable. This was, after all, supposed to be like the first time I was meeting him. I tried to think of the types of outfits which I used to wear to try and get Edward's attention. I had tended to wear blue a lot since it was Edward's favourite colour. Being attracted to my best friend's brother had it advantages even back then, I always had information on hand.

I remembered that I had packed a royal blue, long-sleeved, v-neck top and rummaged through trying to find it. I also found a pair of basic, yet figure hugging black pants and determined they would do best. I added my favourite brown, knee length jacket to the outfit, and pulled out my flats. I had only bought three pairs of shoes. Once I had the outfit sorted, I took them and my toiletry bag to the bathroom so I could shower quickly and change. It was a challenge not to use up all of the hot water, but Alice still needed a shower as well, so I hopped out less than five minutes later. I attempted to blow-dry my hair and give some life, but it ended up being a ball of fluff, so I pinned it up in a bun. Alice started whining for me to hurry up so she could use the bathroom, so I bypassed on doing my makeup. I only ever really wore mascara anyhow, so there wouldn't be much of a difference there. Alice bounced into the bathroom as soon as I opened the door and pushed me out. I took my wet clothes to the laundry, and went back to my room to grab my purse. I had left my phone at home while Alice and I had been out, so I decided to check it now and see if Edward had left me a message. There were none, and no calls either. I thought to message him, to check whether he was ok, but I couldn't think of the right words to say. I would just have to wing it and wait until I saw him.

I couldn't wait in my room, so I wandered into the lounge room and found Jasper sitting on the sofa reading a book.

"Hi Jasper," I said as he looked up.

"Hey Bella, looking forward to tonight?"

"Yeah, it's a little nerve-wracking."

He chuckled. "Aren't first dates supposed to be like that?"

"I guess. At least you guys will be there."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," he said with a grin, and turned back to his book.

I flopped down into one of the armchairs and picked up a nearby magazine. Although most first dates usually involved a couple doing something alone, Alice had the idea that a group date would be best, so her, Jasper, Emmett and his girlfriend Rosalie were coming as well. This way, Edward and I could be 'introduced' to one another. Her line of thinking made sense. It also meant that we couldn't just slip back into our normal confines of our relationship, since the others would be there to keep us in check. The anticipation of seeing Edward again was building. I couldn't sit still, and kept shifting my position. It seemed to irritate Jasper, but I couldn't help it. The magazine scarcely held my interest either. I flicked through it, only pausing to look at the pictures briefly, before tossing it aside. Jasper surveyed me as I looked around for the television remote, jumping up to snatch it off the coffee table. I settled back into the chair and turned the television on, scanning through the channels at speed. I was jiggling my foot in time with the flickering of the screen.

Jasper suddenly yelled out, "Alice! We need to go! Bella is driving me insane!"

I glared at him with narrowed eyes, but he only smirked at me and went back to reading his book again. I switched the television off and went into the kitchen to look for something to do. There were a few dishes in the sink from breakfast, so I quickly washed and dried those. Once I was done, I hunted for another task but there was none. Alice kept a very clean and tidy house. I decided to rearrange her spice rack according to alphabetical order because it was the only thing that I could think of, and was almost finished when she walked into the room behind me.

"Ready Bella?" She asked with a wide smile plastered on her face. She was dressed more impressively than I was, in a floor length black dress which had large black flowers embroidered into the fabric. It made her already white face look even paler.

"Uh-huh. Yep. I'm ready to go. Let's go," I spluttered out, gesturing to the door.

Alice sniggered in response, but I chose to ignore her. We all jumped in Jasper's car since it was pointless taking more than one. He would drop us off at the end of the night. Jasper for some odd reason, and despite the two years that they had been together, didn't live with Alice. When I asked her about it she would tell me that she knew they would one day, she was just waiting for Jasper to realise it. Jasper was apparently very old-fashioned when it came to their relationship, and he liked to move things along slowly which seemed to suit Alice fine. They were one of those couples who you always thought were so sweet it made you cringe. The way they met was unusual. A couple of years ago Alice, on one of her many trips to the shopping mall, spotted him looking at some civil war books and was apparently smitten by him immediately. She told me it was the way that he was so intensely engaged in the book that caught her eye. I figured his wiry but muscular body, deep blue eyes, and longish blonde locks didn't hurt either. She had promptly gone up to him, told him her name, and handed over her number - telling him that she was going to be his next girlfriend. After his initial shock, they had a laugh about it and he suggested they go for coffee. That was it. She made it seem so easy. They wined and dined for a long time before they became physical in even the smallest ways. I don't think that they kissed until about a month after they started seeing each other. According to Alice, there were more ways to be intimate than physically. Personally, I don't know how she did it. I would have been frustrated beyond belief if I had to wait that long.

It didn't take us long to reach the burger joint that we were heading to. As we drove into the parking lot my nerves hit an all new high. I suddenly found it difficult to breathe and could feel my heart pounding against my chest.

"Oh my gosh Bella, are you ok?" Alice asked as she turned from the front seat to see me hunched over with my head between my legs.

I gave a thumb's up sign as I tried to control my breathing. It was hard to reassure myself when all I could think about was Edward's face from the night before. After a moment, I dragged my head up and attempted to get out of the car. There must have been ice on the bitumen because as soon as I made a move to walk away from the car, I slipped and fell on my butt. Both Jasper and Alice were in hysterics by the time I managed to get on my feet again. I checked the back of my pants to see if I did any damage to them. They were wet but I couldn't see any rips in the material so I figured I was fine. The colour of the pants camouflaged any signs of wetness so only I would know. I walked past Alice and Jasper as carefully as I could, with my head held high, hoping they wouldn't realise my embarrassment. Part of me hoped that Edward wasn't already inside and a possible witness, but a quick look around the parking lot told me that Emmett was already here, which worried me slightly. He was supposed to be bringing Edward tonight.

I reached the front doors with the Jasper and Alice right behind me, and I waited for them to enter first. Warm air rushed over me as I stepped inside, bringing with it the smells of grease, fries and burgers. I dared to glance up as I moved in and saw Edward standing with Emmett and Rosalie. My heart leapt at the sight of him. He was wearing a light blue shirt with the top two buttons undone and black dress pants. He ran his hand through his hair when he saw us, and I noticed that it was styled quite messily, as if he had gotten out of bed and left it like that. His eyes refused to meet mine which upset me a little.

"Hi guys. Hello brother," Alice said as walked up to them. Emmett and Rosalie both said 'hi' back but Edward only scowled at her. I stayed back cautiously, waiting to appraise his reaction.

"What's going on Alice?" He demanded.

She didn't even blink. "Whatever do you mean Edward? We're all here to have dinner, aren't we guys?" We all nodded around her. "There is however, someone I would like you to meet."

Edward raised his eyebrows in response. "Who?"

Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me forward, "My very best friend Bella. Bella this is Edward, Edward this is Bella."

His eyes finally met mine. I gave him a timid look as he stared at me in confusion. Rosalie was trembling with silent laughter. Emmett was less inconspicuous. Alice gave them both a dirty look and told them to get a table.

Edward's eyes kept flickering between Alice and I, "Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on? Why are you introducing me to my girlfriend as if I don't know her?"

Alice looked at me for help, "Err, Bella, you care to take this one?"

I nodded to her and asked if I could have a moment alone with him. She agreed and set off with Jasper to find Emmett and Rosalie. I took his hand and led him away from the diners that were next to us who were beginning to stare. He dropped my hand as soon as we stopped. It was difficult to look at his face when it was so mixed with anger and confusion. He clearly hadn't gotten past the previous nights events. I forced myself to do so anyway.

"Edward, remember last night when I asked you to go along with whatever happens?"

He flinched as if the memory burned him. "Yeah I remember."

"Well this is what you have to go along with."

"Why? I don't even know what _this_ is."

I took a deep breath and attempted to explain. "Can you think back to the days when we started out? When everything was fresh, new and exciting? Those days were fantastic. I loved spending all that time with you, and I still do. Just lately, I keep getting that feeling that we just aren't like that anymore. I know we're both busy, but it's like we don't even try. It's just easier to let things slide."

"I get it Bella, you're not happy."

I shook my head. "That's not it Edward, not at all. I am happy. I just know we can be happier." I paused for a moment. "I was thinking about all of this the other day and it occurred to me that we never did the dating thing in the beginning. We never had the chance. So I decided to give us that chance. This... this is sort of my Christmas present to you Edward."

"Leaving me to stay with Alice - that's your idea of a present?" His voice was loud enough to turn heads.

"No Edward. I'm staying with Alice purely because if I stay with you in our home, then it wouldn't be like we are dating for the first time. It would just be the two of us going out more often. There are twelve nights left between now and Christmas night. I plan on spending every single one of those nights with you, just doing something different each time. That is your present. I want us to feel all the excitement that we missed out on, and I'm hoping it brings us back to how we used to be. I want to feel excited when I see you. I want us to look forward to things."

"So basically, you're doing this because you think our relationship needs some life to be injected into it?" He seemed calmer.

"Yes."

His face lost some of the strain that had framed it since he saw me. "Why the theatrics last night then? I thought the worst -" his voice caught.

"I'm so sorry Edward. I didn't know how to break it to you any other way. I wanted to keep this a surprise, but I also tried to make sure that you _wouldn't_ think the worst. I guess I did it all wrong. I never meant to hurt you."

He hesitated for a moment and then said 'I forgive you,' while stepping forward and embracing me in a hug. Then he sighed, "You should have told me, and then I wouldn't have thought the worst."

I pulled my head back to look at his face, "Would you have let me go if I did tell you?"

He didn't hesitate in answering. "No."

"Well that's why I didn't tell you. You can make things terribly difficult sometimes. You should know I would never leave you for real. I'm yours Edward, and always will be. "

"Always?" He asked, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear. There seemed to be a deeper meaning to the question.

"Always."

We stood there for a moment before a small cough interrupted us. We both jumped.

"Are you two ready to start this thing or not?" Alice asked, eyeing us disapprovingly.

I giggled, "Yes." Edward simply smiled.

"Well, come on then. Some of us want to eat," She stated as she grabbed my arm, yanking me away.

I couldn't help but laugh at her face, as she told us off. She glowered at me again when I didn't stop. "There will be no more of that Bella." She said sternly.

"No more of what?" I asked, turning my head to look at Edward behind me. I caught his him looking at my rear, and he grinned when he saw he had been caught. It made me blush.

Alice tugged on my arm, "No more of that!" She said pointedly, "You two have to play by the rules."

I snapped my face back to hers, "What rules?"

She gave me a devious grin, "You'll see." I didn't trust the look that she gave me. I knew she was up to something.

We reached our booth, and Alice slid in next to Jasper. Emmett was seated next to Rosalie on the other side, which meant Edward and I both had the end. I sat next to Alice and watched as Edward fixed his eyes on me as he sat down. It made the butterflies return to my stomach, but in a positive way. I couldn't remember the last time that he payed me this much attention, and I wondered what was running through his mind.

"Apparently Alice says there are rules," I announced casually to Edward.

He turned his head in Alice's direction with an intrigued expression on his face, "Really?"

"Yes, but we're going to choose what to eat first," she said, indicating the waitress who had come over to take our orders.

I ordered a chicken burger with fries, and knew what Edward would order before he had even opened his mouth: a double meat, bacon deluxe burger with the lot, plus fries and salad. It occurred to me there was comfort in the expectations and routine that we had with each other, and to step outside of those boundaries could be frightening. Last night was an example of how it could go wrong, but I knew that it could be good too. I just needed to push us outside of our normal limits.

When we all had made our selections, I turned to Alice and asked her about the 'rules' again. I saw her steal a glance at Emmett before she spoke.

"Well for starters, there will be no more physical contact."

I gaped at her. Was she serious? Edward was staring at her like she had stolen a piece of candy off of him.

"At least for tonight," she added.

Rosalie piped up, "And no kissing until the third date."

"What?" I exclaimed.

"It has to be realistic Bella. If you want to experience things like a couple normally then you have to do this. Many couples who are just starting to date don't kiss on the first or second date," Alice explained.

I groaned in response and turned on her. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before? Why now?"

"You would have backed out of an excellent idea, that's why. There's more though." She stated.

"There's more?" Edward seemed to finally find his voice.

Emmett let out a bellow of laughter. "No sex."

I gawked in disbelief and Edward's jaw dropped as everyone laughed around us. This wasn't turning out how I expected. How on earth were Edward and I going to enjoy ourselves with all these restrictions?

Alice was still giggling when she said, "Or groping. Make that no sexual contact in general, at least not for the first week. Unless you two would sleep together on the first date?" Her face was smug.

"No!" I answered immediately, perhaps a little too fast because it set everyone off laughing again. "Who came up with these rules?"

"I had a chat with Emmett yesterday, and he helped iron out the finer details." Alice replied.

"Yep," Emmett agreed. "We figured you would need some limitations, so you don't go wandering around like you have been together for years."

"But we have been together for years," Edward insisted.

"No you haven't," Rosalie sniggered. "Tonight is your first date. So you two have to pretend you don't know each other."

Jasper finally piped up, "And don't forget the phone numbers."

"Oh, yes! You have to give each other your phone numbers at the end of tonight." Alice chimed in.

"I have Edward's number in my phone." Not to mention memorised in my head.

"No you don't," Alice said adamantly. "I deleted it from your phone tonight when you were in the shower."

Edward's eyes flew to Emmett. "You didn't!"

"Yup!" Emmett responded brightly, looking proud of himself. Emmett must have gotten a hold of Edward's phone before we arrived. The look of dismay in Edward's eyes gave me the impression that he may not know mine.

"So, just to be perfectly clear," I asked, counting off on my fingers, "No touching until tomorrow, no kissing until Tuesday and no sex until next week?"

"And you don't know each other!" Rosalie threw in.

"That's just about it," said Alice.

"I swear that you're adopted," Edward said to Alice suddenly. "No sister of mine would do this to me."

Alice stuck her tongue out at him.

Emmett reached over and slapped Edward on the back. "Come on buddy, it's all in good fun."

Edward muttered inaudibly and met my eyes. We stared at each other in horror. What had we gotten ourselves into? Anxiety crept back into my chest. I hadn't anticipated this, and it threw me off balance. Thankfully our food arrived to provide a distraction. I kept peering up at Edward and he did the same. He was smiling at me now at least, which meant he wasn't mad at me for the way that things were turning out. It started to irritate me that I was forbidden to touch him. I constantly felt the need to reach out and touch him, which was probably a reaction to the fact that I couldn't. So many times my hand reached involuntarily out to grab his and had to stop. If anything, the rules were beginning to make things intense. A thought suddenly hit me.

"Alice, who is going to enforce these rules?"

"You are," she answered promptly. "Edward likes to break rules, so it's up to you to make sure he sticks to them. It is your present after all."

I gulped as Edward gave me a slysmile. 'Sure', I thought to myself. Keeping Edward in check would be an easy task. If he behaved that is.

Conversation started to flow around me as our plates were cleared, and my mind began to wander. I began to think about how the rules might change our dates. It annoyed me about how I didn't think of this when it was quite obvious that it couldn't have worked any other way. I watched as Rosalie ruffled Emmett's curly hair and felt a pang of jealously. They had always been an open couple, never shying away from displays of public affection. You got the impression that they did more in public places than you cared to know about. Emmett had settled down somewhat since he found Rosalie. Before her he was a bit of a player, always having two or more girls on the go at one time. They met last year when the big media company which they both worked for threw their annual Christmas party. Both of them had worked there for years and had never crossed paths before that point. Afterwards Emmett couldn't stop blabbering to us about the leggy, gorgeous blonde that he had talked to all night. Rosalie had refused to give him her number, so he illegally pulled her employee record and got it that way. If any other person had done that, it would have had stalkerish tendencies written all over it. Emmett being Emmett however, made it seem sweet and seductive. He chased her until New Years Eve, where he somehow found out where she would be for the night then crashed the party. According to his story, Rosalie finally gave in and threw herself at him. Rosalie on the other hand told us that he kept her cornered for most of the night so that she couldn't kiss anyone else at midnight. Emmett's persistence must have paid off because she finally agreed to see him, and they haven't looked back since.

"So, what did you buy Bella for Christmas?" Alice asked Edward. Her words brought me back to the conversation at hand.

"What do you mean Alice? I haven't bought Bella anything." He said with a grin as my heart stopped beating. Alice threw him a sceptical look.

"Yes you have!" She persisted. "Even Mum and Dad know you have."

"Alice," he replied sweetly. "How could I possibly have bought Bella anything if I just met her?"

"Fine!" She snapped. "If you're going to play the game, you may as well get to it. Shouldn't you be telling Bella all about yourself? How about what you do for a living Edward. Let's start with that."

"Well," he started as he leant forward on the table and pressed his hands together. "I work at a small law firm in town. I only started a year ago, but I'm working my way to passing the bar exam. I'm hoping to be made partner one day. What about you Bella?"

I smiled. "I work at the Wildlife Conservation Park. Most of my work involves tagging and tracking animals, so we can keep records of population numbers."

"How interesting, do you enjoy your work?"

I had to laugh. It was weird to have Edward ask me questions to which he already knew the answer. "Yes," I said finally. "It's very rewarding when you see that something you are doing is working. We've increased the number of wolves in the area significantly in the past year alone by ensuring they aren't being hunted. How about you Edward, do you enjoy your work?" My voice sounded very formal.

"It can be tedious at times, but when you achieve good results it makes it worth it."

"Gee you two are boring!" Emmett whined. Everyone laughed at that.

Edward began to ask me other questions about myself, about my likes and dislikes, and shared some of his own. Sometimes an answer would surprise one of us, which would lead to a series of other questions. Like when he asked what my favourite colour was. It used to be red, but in recent years I became more attached to green, no doubt by forever being drawn in by Edward's eyes. I was surprised to find that he had a keen interest in vampire movies. We had never watched any together. Despite being surrounded by our friends, we became completely engrossed in one another. Only the occasional snicker from the others brought back the awareness of their presence. Before long however, Alice announced that it was time to go home. I reluctantly got up and Edward came and stood as close to me as he possibly could without actually touching. An electric current appeared to flow in the gap between us, as if making up for the fact that we were not allowed physical contact with each other. This heightened my urge to reach out and grab him. One glance at his face told me that he was experiencing the same discomfort. Edward looked sideways at me. He seemed to be struggling to say something, but appeared reluctant about speaking in front of the others. Jasper must have noticed his predicament and suggested that we meet them at the cars outside. Alice mouthed 'no touching' as she walked away, which made Edward and I laugh. Once they were out of ear shot, he spoke to me.

"Well I actually enjoyed myself tonight, despite being comedy fodder." He had the goofiest grin on his face.

"Same," I answered coyly. For some reason I began to feel shy and found it hard to keep eye contact for more than a few seconds.

"I would like to do this again sometime," he hinted. The way he was gazing at my face made me blush.

"I would like that too." I couldn't think of anything else to say. This was definitely a new experience for me. More silence passed and added to the awkward tension in the air.

"So I guess I should ask for your number… unless you don't want to give it to me?" He joked.

I gave him a disbelieving look. "Of course I want to."

He responded with the most dazzling smile. We both got our phones out and did the customary exchange. I tried hard not to type in the digits of his number before he spoke them out loud. I had pressed that number into my phone too many times to count. As we moved to walk out of the restaurant we saw Emmett's face pressed up to the glass, staring in at us. When he saw us coming he let out a booming laugh and ran off.

"Guess they don't trust us," I said to Edward.

"Well we'll have to show them then, won't we?" He replied.

I nodded and we walked to the car where Alice was waiting impatiently. Edward opened my door for me said goodbye to us. I watched as he walked to Emmett's jeep and shared a laugh with him. We waved as we passed, and I felt a slight twinge as I realised that I wouldn't see him again until tomorrow night. Not being able to wake up next to Edward would take some getting used to. We had almost reached Alice's house when I felt my phone vibrate, it was a message from Edward.

"I was hoping to see you again soon. Do you have plans for tomorrow night?" It read.

I had to giggle. I texted him back, informing him that I was heading out to see a movie that was just released, and suggested that he could join me. He replied that he would love to watch a movie with me, and suggested that he would pick me up at around 7pm. I deliberately didn't mention which movie it was that I intended to see. I wanted to see his reaction tomorrow. I went to bed feeling much more relaxed than the previous night. I had tried to play my part well tonight and I was keen to see how things panned out on the next date.


	4. Cookies, Ensembles and Movies

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plot.

**Author's Note:** My apologies for not updating sooner. Life happened unfortunately, but I will try to update more often in the future.

* * *

**December 15****th**

I was almost late for work, forgetting that Alice lived slightly further away from the Wildlife Park than I did. I burst through the office door with two minutes to spare and rushed to my desk, dumping the contents of my hands onto it. I received an amused look from some of my co-workers as I flopped down into my chair with an exasperated sigh. Jacob walked over from his desk, shrugging into his jacket as he came.

"Hey Bella," He said as he reached me. "Did you have a late night last night?" He was probably questioning my unusual lateness.

"No, nothing like that Jacob," I replied. I didn't feel like giving him all the particulars, especially the little detail that I hadn't come from home. I could only imagine what his reaction would be to that piece of information. His eyes would probably light up brighter than the Christmas lights in the town square. Jacob was a great friend and colleague, but his infatuation with me went deeper than it should. Sometimes I wondered why he wasted his efforts on me when he could have a girlfriend by now if he had showed interest in anyone else. Attractive was almost an understatement for Jacob, with dark skin from his Native American heritage, jet black waist length hair, and teeth that shone like the moon on a cloudless night. It was certain that he turned heads, but for some reason he seemed bent on keeping his focus on a taken woman. Not even the fact that I was a couple of years older seemed to deter him. It made some days at work difficult, but he was too much of a cheery person to dampen my mood for long.

"Well do you want to come for a field run today?" He asked. "I have to check some bait stations."

The bait stations he referred to are one of the methods we use for catching some of the wildlife. We use them to check the health of the animals in the general area, and the numbers, then tag them and release them where we found them. Normally I would love to do a field run, but the mass amount of snow we had been having made me doubt that we would have caught anything. Most animals would have moved closer to the mountains where there was sufficient shelter for them.

"No thanks Jacob, not today. I have a pile of paperwork to catch up on." It was true. I had been falling behind in the less desired duties of my job.

"Sure. No problems, I'll see you later." He said flashing his teeth.

Jacob left the room and I dug into the mounds of paper that cluttered my desk. I had enough work to keep me occupied for the entire day, and it did. Before I knew it, the work day was over and I was driving home.

---

Alice was already there when I arrived back at her house. She was in the kitchen whipping up a storm, making cookies and gingerbread men for a fundraiser a local charity was holding. The proceeds went towards helping orphaned children, a cause that Alice felt quite strongly about. It was fascinating watching Alice zoom around her tiny kitchen, with her red apron and angelic face smeared in flour. She emptied the last of a cookie mix onto a tray and then handed me the bowl. She knew how much I liked raw cookie dough.

"So how is all the baking going?" I asked, plonking myself onto a bar stool and licking my fingers.

"Not so good," she admitted. "I've only baked about one hundred cookies and about fifty gingerbread men, and I haven't even started icing them yet."

I widened my eyes in surprise.

"Only one hundred?" I asked in amazement.

"Yes," she sighed, obviously thinking that I thought the number wasn't high enough. "I've got Jasper doing baking runs for me at his house so I can catch up. I need to make at least double this." She frowned at the unbaked cookies and placed the tray in the waiting oven.

"I think there is enough Alice." I said as I scooped the last bit of the cookie dough out of the bowl. "Will you even sell all of these?"

"I didn't bake enough last year!" She claimed.

Her face was a mask of gloom, Alice could be quite the perfectionist at the best of times, and now was no different. I had to admire her efforts, if there was one thing about her it was that she never did anything half-way. Actually a lot of the time she went over the top. Like for instance when we had a joint eighteenth birthday party. Despite my objections of not wanting to celebrate without Edward there, she forged ahead with what she planned to be the party of the year. She didn't disappoint. The party was held at her parent's two story mansion, with their permission, and she had virtually turned the place into a nightclub. There was a dance floor in the middle of their lounge room, several disco balls and strobe lights hung from the ceiling, and she had somehow acquired a hot-at-the-moment DJ to play all of the latest music. There was also a bar, complete with bartenders, serving up mocktails for all of us too young to drink legally. Although I'm sure people bought their own alcohol to compensate. The party was a hit, but there were far too many people there for my liking. It felt like the entire school had turned up, instead of just our senior year. Since the party was in my honour as well as Alice's, I had a copious amount of unwanted attention directed at me. The worst part was when Mike Newton decided that he was going to try and kiss me, undeterred by my relationship with Edward. After backing me into a corner, I was forced to slap him before he got too close. Edward was furious when he found out, vowing to teach Newton a lesson, until I talked him out of it. I smiled at the memory of Edward being protective of me, it was one of his more amicable traits.

Jasper walked in the door carrying several trays of cookies, and had a wary expression on his face. I could tell that he was afraid Alice would make him bake more cookies.

"Thank you Jasper," Alice said, taking the trays out of his hands and planting a kiss on his lips. "I have one more baking run for you to do, and that should be it for tonight."

When Alice turned his back to him, Jasper glanced over at me with a defeated pout. I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a look that said 'better you than me'. I loved Alice, but I knew better than to offer her help; she would set me to work with a relentless amount of tasks to finish. Alice turned back to him and loaded his arms with more trays of raw cookie dough. Jasper groaned, and with one last helpless grimace left the kitchen to fulfil his duties. Thinking that I should probably leave the kitchen too before Alice could ask me for help, I announced that I was going to have a shower and get ready for my date. Alice's mouth curled up into a knowing smile when I spoke, but instead of reacting I simply shoved the bowl back at her, stood up and walked out of the room.

I took my time in getting ready tonight, trying to pick out something that was comfortable yet flattering. In the end I choose a cream coloured knit top and jeans. I did my hair and make-up, but by the time I was finished I still had half an hour to wait until Edward arrived. Knowing that I would begin to get fidgety like I had the night before if I stayed in my room, I decided to find out how much progress Alice had made. I found her icing Christmas tree gingerbread biscuits, putting tiny details such as baubles on them. Figuring that she wouldn't give me a strenuous task while I was dressed up, I asked her if she needed any assistance. She pointed to the mound of reindeer cookies and announced that they needed to be iced, with every twelfth one to have a red nose. I rolled my eyes at her request, grabbed an icing bag and set to work. We chatted while we worked decorated the cookies and the gingerbread trees, pausing briefly when we would have to focus on getting a part just right. She asked me about how I was feeling about tonight, and I told her that I wasn't as nervous as the night before. I still had butterflies but I was excited.

"Have you two spoken since last night?" She asked me.

"Yes," I said dreamily, thinking of the message I had received just after I woke up. "He told me that he was looking forward to seeing me tonight." Really, really looking forward to it.

Forever suspicious, Alice raised her eyebrows and questioned if that was all he had said. I blushed in response, which made her eyes widen even more, but I told her truth. That was all that he had said, I just happened to know the tone in which he would have said it. She reminded me once again that I had to stick to the rules.

"I will Alice!" I said laughing. I felt ninety-nine percent confident that we would be able to abide by them. Well, maybe ninety-eight percent.

The little smirk that she had pulled earlier in the night appeared back on her face. "Oh, I forgot to mention you have a curfew," she said casually.

I stopped right in the middle of planting a huge red blob on one of the reindeer's faces and stared at her. "Are you _trying_ to kill me Alice?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "Don't be so dramatic Bella. It's just so you don't stay out all night. Besides, you were teenagers when you first became a couple, so if you had dated then I know for certain that Charlie would have given you a curfew. So be home by eleven pm." Charlie was my dad, and she was right, he would have given me a curfew.

I leant on the counter-top and placed my head in my hands. "Are there any other restrictions you would like to place on us? Do we need a chaperone? Or maybe I should wear a chastity belt."

Her face was smug. "No, nothing else."

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that she was enjoying herself by putting Edward and I through torture. We both went back to the icing and I became so absorbed in what I was doing that I forgot about the time. It was only when the doorbell rang that I remembered. My heart missed a beat at the sound and I froze where I was standing.

"Well aren't you going to answer the door?" Alice badgered. "Or are you going to keep him waiting?"

"Can't you do it Alice?" I said with nerves starting to get the best of me once more.

"No! He's your date, now get moving!" She said shoving me towards the door.

I stumbled down the hallway to the front door and hesitated before opening it. The sight of Edward as I flung it open made me suck in a deep breath. His hair was just as dishevelled as it had been last night, but this time it looked deliberate. His cheeks were flushed from the cold and his lips were turned upwards in a wide grin.

"Hi Bella," he said after a moment.

"Hi Edward." I was smiling too.

"Are you ready to go?" He wondered.

"Sure, just let me grab my coat." I reached into the closet next to the front door to get my coat and snatched my purse from the small table in the middle of the hallway. As I returned to the open front door, I allowed my eyes to take Edward in completely, instead of simply looking at his face. I halted in my tracks, and then burst into laughter. Edward's face became one of amusement and confusion, but he followed my eyes which were raking his body. He glanced down to himself, then back up to me. Realisation dawned on his face and he began chuckling.

"It seems we both have good taste in clothing," he said indicating his cream jumper and jeans combination which matched mine, and we both laughed again.

Alice came out from the kitchen to see what the commotion was and we began laughing at the sight of her. Between the moment I had left the kitchen until now, it appeared that she had somehow smeared her face with icing.

"What?" Alice asked in an irritated voice.

Instead of answering I pointed to the mirror which hung on the hallway wall. She caught a glimpse of herself and squeaked, sending us into further fits of giggles.

Thoroughly annoyed by now, she turned to us and reminded me to be home by eleven o'clock or else. Edward continued to laugh but this time I fell silent. When I told him she was serious, he stopped as well, narrowing his eyes at her. Happy to have wound Edward up once more, she skipped over to me and gave me a peck on the cheek, telling me to have a great date. She smudged a bit of the icing onto my cheek in the process, and I wiped it off quickly before Edward could start laughing at me this time.

We walked out to the car, with Edward slightly ahead of me, but instead of moving towards the driver's side, he stopped at the passenger door and opened it for me. I was surprised by the gesture, but happy nonetheless. I gave him a small smile as I hopped in, and I swear I saw him blush a little.

The drive to the cinema was mildly uncomfortable, as neither of us knew exactly what to say or do. Technically I was allowed to touch him now, but I wasn't sure what would be considered appropriate. Edward eventually turned on the radio and asked me about my day. My answer took all of thirty seconds, and his answer was even shorter when I asked him the same question. Music filled the break in conversation until he asked me which movie we were going to watch.

"Twelve Days of Christmas."

"Isn't that a romantic movie?" I could hear a note of displeasure in his voice.

"It's supposed to be a comedy too," I answered, miffed.

"I'll take your word for it."

We both kept our eyes peeled for parking spaces when we arrived. Apparently we weren't the only people wanting to see a movie at this time of the week. We soon found one, and rushed to the entrance of the complex as it started to snow. On the way through we passed by several coffee shops and small eateries, as well as the games arcade. The smell of food made my stomach growl as I remembered that I had forgotten to eat. Edward glanced at me as I clutched at my abdomen.

"Hungry?" He asked.

"I'll survive, As long as I get a huge bucket of popcorn."

As we stood in line for our tickets, we attempted to make small talk. It was astonishing how awkward it was, at least for me anyhow. I found myself watching other couples who were hugging or holding hands. I couldn't look at the ones who were kissing, it stung too much. I began to feel that longing just to touch Edward again, but fear of making the first move kept me motionless. I was holding all the years of natural response inside of me, and it was excruciatingly difficult to constantly stop myself from reaching out to him, so I shoved my hands under my arms pits and held them there. Edward questioned me with his eyes, but didn't say a word. I was thankful that the line was moving quickly until I realised that the line for refreshments was just as long. I attempted to busy myself by thinking of other things, but my thoughts somehow always led back to Edward. Work; Jacob; Edward hates Jacob – oh damn. Christmas; presents; I wonder what Edward got me – ugh. Ok popcorn; eating; Edward's hand reaching into the bucket the same time as mine – oh for crying out loud! I shook my head to try and clear the thoughts from up and peered up to see Edward staring at me in amusement. I threw him a 'you do not want to know look' and moved to the counter to get the popcorn and soda. My efforts to pay for the food and drinks were thwarted by Edward as he insisted on paying for them. My rebuttal that he had paid for the tickets and thus I should pay for the food fell on deaf ears. I grumbled somewhat, but he explained to me that this was what guys did on dates, and he still had that darn amused look on his face.

We had finally made it to our theatre when I reached a dilemma. If we sat up the back, where we would normally sit, it would give the impression that a make-out session was at hand, not that I wouldn't want to, I just didn't feel that it was the impression one should be going for on their second date. On the other hand, if I sat down the front I would have to crane my neck to see the screen which would be simply uncomfortable. I figured the middle should be a safe bet, the only issue would be the possibility of having popcorn, lollies or worse thrown on us by the teens who _were_ sitting up the back. The theatre was jam packed by the time we had got there, and we had to squeeze past several people to get two seats in the middle of the row. Unfortunately, my earlier theory of couples making out up the back was proven wrong, as the couple to the right of me started making out before the lights were dimmed. As the advertisements rolled across the screen I began to eat my popcorn and took a peek at Edward. He looked as uncomfortable as I felt, so I offered him the popcorn and watched as he took a handful and gave the bucket back to me. He caught a glance at the couple sitting next to me and proceeded to give me a devilish smile. I shook my head pre-empting his thoughts.

"Not until tomorrow," I whispered.

"Who will know?" He answered slyly.

"I will," I stated. "Besides Alice will find out, she has an inexplicable method of getting information out of anyone."

"Except for you that is," I added as an afterthought, thinking of the Christmas present that still eluded her.

He held his palms up in defeat and I went back to eating my popcorn. When the lights had gone down, I had started to feel that strange tingling sensation that which I had experienced the night before, but now as the movie started and the opening credits rolled, the feeling intensified. It felt as if it was flowing directly from Edward, so I turned my head in his direction and his eyes caught mine. I missed the beginning of the movie as I refused to move my gaze from his; watching as he drew me in with his piercing green eyes and crooked smile. I felt a blush creep onto my face as he offered me his hand. I gladly took it, and smiled as he squeezed it, then interlaced his fingers with mine. He didn't let go for the entire movie.

* * *

**Next Chapter: **Their "first" kiss. :)


	5. To dine or not to dine

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plot.

Thanks to my beta _Hayz_ for all of your encouragement. Also, a huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed or subscribed to this story. I have tried to thank everyone who has reviewed personally and if I have missed someone, I apologise. Enough of that, onto the next chapter!

* * *

**December 16****th**

When I rolled out of bed in the morning, my heart was light and my face was plastered with the biggest grin. I had spent what was probably the sweetest night I had ever experienced with Edward. From the moment he first took my hand, everything onwards just felt so… right. Although the urge to grab him and kiss him wildly never left me, I felt more comfortable just being with him. From what I could tell, the feeling was mutual for Edward. Every move, every gesture, every smile that he gave me told me how much he loved me still, and I tried my hardest to return that emotion to him.

We had walked out of the theatre hand in hand, feeling every bit like the teenagers that we were being treated like by our friends. We laughed as we recalled the funnier parts of the movie, and I blushed as I remembered how he had held my hand close to his heart through all of the romantic moments. Just thinking about the look in his eye now made my heart beat faster, if ever there was a time that I felt well and truly adored by him it was then as he stared deep into my eyes. It was as if he was gazing deep into my soul, telling me all the things he couldn't say out loud, at least not yet.

The movie had finished well before curfew, so we decided to grab some drinks from one of the small cafés we had passed on the way in. We settled into a small table, away from the rambunctious adolescents who had taken over nearly half of the coffee shop. After ordering, the conversation fell quiet between us, with a little bit of the former tension we had before the movie returning. I had guessed that it was easier when we had something to talk about other than ourselves, since we weren't sure what we could or couldn't share; and also because it was difficult to pretend to not know a person when you in fact did. We stammered our way through half a cup of coffee before my eyes fell upon the arcade across from the café. Edward saw the glint in my eye and insisted we go over and play a few games before he had to take me home. Although I acknowledged that my 'friendship' with klutziness would probably make some games rather difficult, I purposefully made my way to the arcade. After all, I was supposed to be pushing us out of our comfort zone, and that meant me as well.

Edward decided that we should start out on something easy, so we played a couple of games of Skee Ball. My hand-eye coordination was atrocious, and it took me forever to get any of the balls into the holes. After Edward won the first round by a milestone, he came over to give me some pointers about throwing, he knew all too well about me and sporting abilities.

"Here," he said, coming up directly behind me and placing his palm underneath my hand. "Curve your arm and aim with your fingertips. When they reach where you want the ball to go, release it."

As he spoke, he moved my hand in motion with his words; bringing my arm back and swinging it up until it was aligned towards the hole with the highest points. He then placed a ball in my hand and told me to try it for myself. As he released my hand, the tips of his fingers ran lightly up my arm until it reached my shoulder. Even through my sweater I could still feel his touch and it left a trail of tingles in its wake. I tried to focus on the ball in my hand, and mentally applied Edward's words to my movement. _Curve your arm.._ I pulled my arm back.. _aim with your fingertips.._ I swung my arm forward in an arch and watched carefully for just the right height…_ release it.._ I threw the ball and watched as it flew in a downward curve towards the hole, missing the highest mark but hitting the second highest. I clasped my hands together in amazement as Edward whispered in my ear:

"See, it's not so hard is it?"

The shivers that travelled down my spine at the proximity of his voice made my breath catch and I fell slightly backwards onto him. I sighed as I realised that this was the closest that I had been to Edward in days, and I didn't want to move an inch. I could feel his silent laughter as my back pressed into his chest, and he suggested that I give it one more try before we play again. I leant forward again and took another ball. After a deep breath I played the steps through my head again, and threw the ball with gusto. It hit its target and went in. I squealed with delight and spun around to embrace Edward, pleased with my success. A moment later I realised that I had my arms wrapped tightly around his neck and my head was pressed into his chest, while he snaked his hands around my waist pulling me closer. Rational, or could possibly have been irrational, thoughts flew from my mind, and I had to scramble to try and recover myself. I had missed this, being this close to Edward, being able to hold him; and being restricted from the smallest of intimate gestures made this moment so special to me. I willed time to stand still so I could cherish it just that bit longer, but the nagging 'Alice' thoughts in my head told me that holding on any more would be considered inappropriate. Begrudgingly, I pushed myself away from Edward, allowing my hands to run across his chest before they returned limply to my sides. When I peered up at his eyes, there was a momentary sadness in them before he smiled. He took my hand and pulled me along side him.

"Shall we play another game?" He asked. I nodded in response.

We hit play on our machines and starting throwing like mad. It was harder to throw accurately when I had to do it quickly, but I kept repeating Edward's words over and over in my head, and started to get better each time. By the time that we finished, Edward had still won, but not by as long a shot as our first round. I suggested that we give it one more try and we began all over again. It was difficult to not glance at Edward's score, but I noticed that his wasn't that far ahead of mine, which spurred me on further. We were neck and neck by the final ten second countdown, and I threw as fast as I could, not worrying about the accuracy any more. When my machine announced me as winner, I threw my hands in the air and jumped around, screaming "I won, I won", while Edward laughed with amusement. I grinned at him, and was tempted to hurl myself at him and hug him again, but I thought it was best not to push it too far for the night. After I finished my little victory dance, I glanced around for more games to play. A lot of the other ones that interested me were taken by other users, so when my eyes settled on a pair of motorcycles for a racing game, I asked Edward if we could try them.

"Are you certain you want to try that game?" He questioned, with his eyebrows raised.

"Yes!" I exclaimed with a new found enthusiasm. I had never thought that I could have fun playing games like these, but the euphoria of winning gave me encouragement.

We walked up to the motorcycles which were bolted down to steel frame, but were slightly elevated so they could move whilst the game was in progress. One was red with a black stripe down the side, and the other was identical with a blue finish and a white stripe on it. My limited knowledge of bikes told me that these were modelled after the sportier motorcycles. I told Edward I wanted the red bike, and attempted to move the rear wheel by running my hand over it. I was disappointed when it didn't budge. I came to a slight dilemma when I moved to jump onto the bike. Regardless of the fact that it was stationary, the seat was still higher than my hip, which meant that swinging my leg over to hop on was going to be a difficult task. Edward seemed to notice my predicament, and came over to my side, resting his hands on my hips.

"Let me help you," he offered.

Once again his closeness to me did not go unnoticed, and I gasped as his hands curled around my sides. I gripped the handlebars and lifted my right leg to throw it over the seat. I almost got halfway before Edward lifted me from the ground so that I could extend my leg fully over to the other side. When he was certain that I was steady, he moved back towards his bike, and I ducked my head, trying to hide the blush that I could feel rising on my cheeks. I quickly read the instructions that flashed across the screen, and selected the automatic gear shift; leaning on the bike to turn the corners would be hard enough on top of braking and accelerating, so I figured the easiest option would be best for me. To make it fair, I told Edward he should choose the automatic option too. When the start screen came up, I tested the accelerator on the handlebar, twisting it and listening to the sound of it revving. There was some satisfaction in the noise, and I bent forward in anticipation.

"Three, two, one, go!" The machine yelled, and I wrenched back on the accelerator, watching as the bike on the screen in front of me sped forward down the animated road.

I concentrated as hard as I could on keeping the bike on the road, taking a few corners to get used to the tilting of the bike without nearly slipping off. I forgot that I was in a race, and instead began to enjoy the experience, imagining I was on a real bike. When the last long stretch of road came in sight, I leant as close to the handlebars as I could, and pulled right back on the accelerator, zooming as fast as I could to the finish line. It took a moment for me to realise that my screen was flashing "first place" over and over. When I did I let out a loud "ha" and turned to see Edward's sour face. I could tell by his disappointment that he hadn't just let me win, and I felt very satisfied knowing that I beat him first try.

"I won again!" I exclaimed.

"So it would seem," he responded.

I laughed, "Maybe I should take bike riding lessons for real, I might be this good in real life."

Edward's face grew into a grimace which made me laugh a little more. Reality hit me however when I attempted to get off the bike. I swung my leg over, clipping the back of the bike and sending me flying onto my back. A very amused Edward came around to check if I was alright, holding out a hand to help me up.

"I'm not too sure about those lessons. You may have to take some in walking first." His voice was light-hearted, and meant the words as a joke, but they still upset me a little.

I huffed as I dusted off my bottom and glared at him a little. He broke out his crooked smile to soften me up, and despite my stubborn resolve it worked. I pouted and drew my mouth downwards, so he cocked his head to the side and offered an apology.

"Sorry Bella. Well played game, congratulations on winning. Would you like to play another one?"

I checked my watch and groaned. I informed him there was just enough time for him to get me home before curfew, so we unwillingly left the arcade, and sped off into the night.

Edward walked me to the door when we reached the house, and told me how much of a wonderful time he had. I grew coy at his words, and I dipped my head in embarrassment.

"So, did you have any plans for tomorrow night?" He asked me.

I glanced up at him from underneath my eyelashes, watching as his green eyes sparkled in the moonlight. "No. I don't have any plans."

"Well," he said, inching closer to me. "Maybe I could take you out to dinner, someplace nice?" His voice was hopeful, which was irrelevant since I could never refuse him.

"Of course, I would love to go to dinner with you Edward."

His mouth turned upwards into a soft smile, "Wonderful. I'll pick you up at seven."

I nodded and returned his smile, then felt my expression fall as I came to terms of another night without Edward lying beside me.

"What is it?" He asked, his tone laced with concern.

I couldn't tell him, because I wouldn't be telling him this after a second date, so I shook my head and said "Nothing."

He must have understood my predicament, because he grasped my arm and pulled me forward before wrapping his arms around me. I hugged him back, relishing the closeness again. A voice from inside the house shot through the darkness:

"Curfew Bella!"

I groaned at Alice's words and reluctantly felt Edward pull away from me. He stopped before removing his arms from my waist entirely, but allowing some distance between our torsos. I watched as he drew one of his fingers up to his mouth, pursed his lips and kissed it before reaching across and placing the finger upon my lips. I kissed his finger back, and lifted my hand to guide it back to his mouth, where he kissed it again. He slid his hand out from underneath mine, leaving the tips of my fingers resting on his lips. I curled my fingers towards me so that he could kiss the lengths of my fingers before closing my eyes and letting my hand drop. I wasn't sure if this would be considered kissing, but since our lips hadn't met yet, I felt assured that we hadn't done anything wrong, and either way, I wasn't going to argue.

He removed his other hand from my waist, and lifted my chin. "See you tomorrow," he said before brushing his hand across my cheek.

I stood there motionless, savouring the sensation, and felt my heart drop when he mouthed 'bye' and walked away. I waited until he was in the car before opening the front door and dragging my feet to my room. The next date couldn't come soon enough.

The sound of my message tone ripped me from the moments of the night before that I had been replaying in my head. I snatched my phone from the night table and saw that the message was from Edward.

_Good morning beautiful. I can't wait until I see you tonight. I have the restaurant booked and am counting down the hours. Wear something as gorgeous as you are._

I threw my head back onto the pillow and sighed. It certainly would be a long day. I texted him back telling him I couldn't wait either, and replaced the phone on the table. Halfway through changing for work I had a mild panic attack, and ran to Alice's room.

"Alice! Alice! You have to help me, Edward is taking me out to dinner tonight and I have to wear something fancy and I didn't pack anything and I don't have time to shop and-"

"Bella stop!" Alice demanded, watching as I continued to flail my arms in alarm. "I will have it sorted by tonight, just leave it with me."

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you," I exclaimed, running over to her and kissing her rumpled spiky hair.

"Ew Bella, get off! I don't know where those lips have been! Oh wait yes I do," she said laughing. "They haven't been anywhere!"

I pouted and wisely made the decision not to tell her about mine and Edward's kissing but not kissing the night before. She stopped guffawing when she saw my face fall.

"Oh I'm sorry. I only mean well Bella, and besides you'll have fun tonight. I'll bet on it!"

She gave me a quick hug before telling me to leave so she could get dressed and I stumbled back to my room, relieved that I wouldn't have to worry about finding a dress at short notice.

---

The day dragged on frustratingly slowly. I couldn't concentrate on something for more than a minute at a time before my thoughts returned to Edward. Jacob had to ask me the same question several times over before my glazed eyes returned to focus and I acknowledged his query. It was the same for the rest of my colleagues, and after a short while, they left me to it, realising that they weren't going to get a straight answer out of me. Jacob kept glancing at me concerned, but I waved him off without an explanation, I was too preoccupied to come up with a good one. The only things that kept me sane were the messages that Edward kept sending me throughout the day. I could only imagine what my expression looked like when I read them, I probably had the goofiest grin on my face. Towards the end of the work day, about an hour before I was due to finish, my phone rang.

"Edward!" I exclaimed a little too loudly as I answered it.

All of a sudden everyone's attention was on me, some eyes were questioning, and others were amused. I quickly ran outside so that I could have a little more privacy.

"Hi Bella," he said chuckling. "I'm glad to hear your voice too."

I smiled into the phone. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

I heard a long sigh on the other end of the line before he spoke. "I have some bad news Bella." My heart sank. "I won't be able to make it to our date tonight. Something came up at work and I have to stay back. I'm so sorry."

I stood there in the hallway, silenced, not knowing how to respond. If there was any normal day, I wouldn't be so crushed, knowing that I would see Edward when he arrived home. Today was different though, I wouldn't see him, and it was devastating because our dates were the only time when I would. I swallowed the lump that was beginning to become lodged into my throat and said:

"That's ok Edward. I understand." I understood all too well. That was one of the downsides of his job.

"I rescheduled with the restaurant already, we can have our dinner date tomorrow."

I just wanted to simply nod, but since he couldn't see me I whispered 'ok'.

"I'm really sorry Bella, I really wanted to see you tonight. I'll make it up to you I promise." There was pain in his voice.

I was aching to just tell him that I loved him, but knowing I couldn't, I held back.

"Listen Bella, I have to go, but I'll try to call again tonight when I get home."

"Ok Edward. Don't work too hard." I love you. "Bye."

"Bye Bella."

I heard the disconnect tone and I stared at the phone in my hand. I tried to reason why I was feeling so disappointed, and I figured it was because I had been building myself up all day. Not to mention I was fuelled by the text messages that Edward had been sending me. I leant against the wall and banged my head against it. Typical luck, just when it was going well, a spanner is thrown in the works. I had to talk myself out of becoming mopey. 'You'll see him tomorrow, you can hold and kiss him then' I thought to myself. Then it hit me as the thought ran through my head. The kiss! I wouldn't be able to kiss him until tomorrow. That did it. I slid down the wall and held my head in my hands. I would have to wait another day and it was going to kill me inside. I wondered if Edward was struggling internally as much as I was. I sat there for at least five minutes until I heard Jacob calling my name.

"Bella," he said softly. "Is everything alright?"

I raised my head and saw his eyes lined with concern. "Yeah Jacob, everything's fine," I forced the words out as honestly as I could, no point in getting other people worried over a small issue. "Just some bad news is all."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," I said getting to my feet. "Don't worry about me. I'm just going to go to get a drink."

I walked in the opposite direction from which he came so that he couldn't question me further.

---

The remaining three quarters of an hour at work were a bit hazy. I had tried to think about anything else but Edward, but it was difficult since he had been on my mind all day. Jacob and a couple of my other work friends attempted to cheer me up, but by the time I left I still felt mopey.

Alice bombarded me as soon as I got back to her place. Rushing at me, and hauling me towards the bathroom, while she rambled.

"Thank goodness you're here Bella. You've given me just the right amount of time to get you ready. Now, it took me a while to decide which outfit would be best, sexy but not too overt. I wanted it to look a little classy as well seeing as I don't know where Edward is taking you. So, first you'll have to…" Her voice trailed off as she caught a glimpse of my face. "Bella, what's wrong? What happened?"

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, "Edward had to cancel. He has to work tonight."

"Oh no! Oh Bella," she said, wrapping her tiny arms around me. "I'm sorry. What are you going to do then?"

I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't feel like doing anything. I just wanted to lie on my bed for a few hours. Or devour a whole tub of ice-cream.

"Well, how about coming with me tonight? I have the stall all set up to sell my cookies, and Jasper is there now. He was going to cover for me while I helped you get ready."

Her eyes were wide with question, which crinkled her petite forehead. I knew I shouldn't be this miserable, and figured that the only way to break myself out of this mood was to do something distracting and possibly fun, so I agreed.

"Sure. What do you want me to do?"

Alice's face lit up and she clapped her hands. "Go and have a shower, and I'll get some clothes for you to change into."

I was wary that I wasn't going to be wearing my clothes for such a casual event, and became concerned that Alice was going to dress me up in some costume. My fears proved correct. When I came out of the shower there was a green dress lying on my bed, which had a red collar, belt and netting sticking out from underneath the hem of the skirt. There was also a matching hat that had elf ears on it, a pair of black stockings, and a pair of black boots with a golden clasp on the side and bells hanging from it. I shook my head, wondering if Alice had ordered a costume in my size deliberately. I was mortified when I put the dress on and looked in the mirror, my reflected appearance showed a pale elf with long black stick legs coming out from the bottom of the dress. I was minutely relieved that it was long enough to cover my rear, but cringed at the thought of having to bend over in it. When I was completely dressed, and feeling like an absolute idiot, I wandered out to the lounge where Alice was wearing an identical outfit.

"Ooh, you look so adorable!" She announced excitedly, and snapped a photo.

"Alice! Don't take photos!" I exclaimed.

She giggled in response, "I have to have evidence for later otherwise no one would believe me."

I groaned at the knowledge that she would show the photo to other people. I just hoped she kept it within our circle of friends. Now that I thought about it, I hope that I didn't see anyone that I knew at the stall, but seeing as it was at a small event in the town centre my chances for that not to happen were slim.

"Do I _have_ to wear this costume Alice? It's so embarrassing."

"Yes, it's all part of the Christmas spirit. Now let's get going before it's too late." She said, dancing past me and slapping me on the butt.

I winced, grabbed my coat and walked out to the car.

Poor Jasper was up to his eyeballs in customers by the time that we had got there, and I saw instantly that he hadn't escaped Alice's costume fixation. He was wearing another identical outfit, except instead of a dress, it was a shirt and shorts. It was amusing watching him pass out cookies to people and wish them a 'Merry Christmas' when he was dressed up like an elf, and I felt slightly less awkward.

The stall was in the middle of the town centre, surrounded by other stalls of handmade dolls, cars, rugs and clothes, as well as other food delights. It was an annual attraction that allowed the townspeople to show off their wares and help a good cause at the same time. Most vendors only gave a certain percentage of their earnings for the night to the charity, but I knew that Alice would donate everything. She had the biggest heart like that.

A massive pergola enclosed the area where the stalls were, keeping the vendors and customers safe from the snow. There were fairy lights strung all around the posts and the roof of the pergola, making it bright enough to not need any other light. The effect of the lights and the snow falling lightly outside of the pergola, mixed with the smell of cookies, cake and other indescribable food smells, made it seem extremely magical. I took in a large gulp of air and smiled to myself. This moment reminded me of how much I loved Christmas.

Jasper had already sold over half of Alice's stock, so we took over, encouraging people to buy more. Alice had bagged up the cookies in red, green or white cellophane, and attached blank gift tags to them, so that people had the option of buying them as presents. As long as they were stored correctly they would last until Christmas. One small blonde haired and piggy-tailed girl asked Alice if she could give them to Santa to eat when he came to visit her house. Alice thought she was so adorable that she gave her an extra bag, and told her to keep one for Santa and one for herself. The smile that lit up the girl's face in awe made the gesture more than worth it. By 9 o'clock we had completely sold out, and Alice presented her earnings to the charity chairman with delight. He told her she was always welcome at their events, and that he would even consider creating a permanent volunteering position within the company for just for her. She beamed with pride at his words, and thanked him, telling him she would like that very much.

It took all of fifteen minutes after we had arrived home for me to remember what the night had initially been about, but I was in too much of a cheery mood now to let the devastation take me again. Instead I gave Alice a kiss on the cheek, and expressed my gratitude for her helping me tonight.

"Any time Bells," she replied, giving me a kiss back before heading to her room.

I threw off the outfit, glad that only a few people I know had seen me in it, put my pyjama's on and crawled into bed. My last thoughts were of Edward before I fell asleep, wondering when he would get home, and if he would still call me when he did.

---

A sharp, piercing noise disrupted my sleep. I sleepily opened one eye and told the noise to go away. It stopped a moment later, so I rolled over and attempted to go back to my dream. When the noise started again I realised that it was my phone. I threw the covers back and lunged across the bed towards the night table, seized my phone and hit the answer button.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"Bella, it's Edward."

"Edward?" I asked confused. I rubbed my heavy eyelids and glanced at the digital alarm clock readout. It was 11 o'clock. "Did you just finish work?"

He laughed at the sound of my croaky voice. "Yes, but I couldn't go home without seeing you first."

I furrowed my brow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm waiting outside the front of Alice's house for you."

At his words I flew out of the bedroom to the front door, wrenched it open and peered out into the darkness. There were clouds hiding the moon tonight, and the streetlight was dim, making it difficult to see.

"Where are you?" I whispered into the phone. I could barely make out the outline of his car.

"Right here," said a voice next to me, and it took all of my courage not to scream at his sudden appearance. I didn't want to wake Alice.

I hit him lightly in the shoulder, "Don't scare me like that Edward!"

He merely chuckled in response, and pulled me close, linking his hands around my waist.

"I missed you," he said in a tone that made my heart melt.

"I missed you too."

"My sincerest apologies for not making it to our date tonight, but I promised I would make it up to you."

I shook my head and ran my hands up the sides of his torso before clasping my hands behind his neck. "You don't need to make it up to me, you being here now is enough for me," I said in a low voice.

"Nonsense," he replied and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "Today would have been our third date."

I nodded solemnly, knowing exactly what he was implying.

"I still say it's our third date," He whispered, closing the space between our heads.

I peered up at him, trying to read what he was thinking. "How do you mean?"

"You said there were twelve days until Christmas when this started, twelve days of dates. If we truly postpone tonight, then the twelfth day won't be until after Christmas."

My mouth fell open a little as I took in what he was saying. He was right, in a way. Regardless of the fact that we had missed our date tonight, we would still have to consider it as the third day.

"You've been thinking about this a lot haven't you 'Mr. Lawyer-to-be'?"

He nodded, resting his forehead on mine. As we spoke, he had begun to rock our hips slowly in time together, side to side, as if we were dancing.

"So, what does this little revelation mean?" I questioned.

He tilted his head down until he was looking right into my eyes. Slowly, he brought one hand up and embraced my cheek with his palm, then followed with the other hand. With his eyes still gazing deep into mine, he whispered 'this', and without warning he leaned in and planted his lips on mine.

I reacted instantly, using my hands which were still around his neck to pull him closer to me. He tugged me nearer still, with one hand returning to my waist and the other finding its way through my hair. I gently nibbled at his bottom lip and angled my head so that I could kiss him better. He took my lead and opened his mouth, allowing me to kiss him deeper. I unclasped my hands and slid them gently up his neck before tangling them into his locks. I could feel the hunger of his kiss, as he gripped me tighter, refusing to let me inch away even in the slightest, so I pushed myself nearer to him, aligning my body with his. What had started out as slow, tantalising kisses were fast becoming steamy, breathless ones. A small part of my brain connected with the intensity of our exchange and I knew that if I didn't knock it down a notch, it could easily head in a direction that would break at least one of the other rules. While I was sorely tempted to let this continue, I knew for the sake of the rest of the dates that I couldn't. It would crush all meaning of Edward's present. So I gently removed my tongue from inside his mouth, and kissed him once, twice, three times on the lips, before flitting small pecks across his cheek and neck. I lowered my head and pressed my face to his chest, while he continued to hold me close and played with my hair. I wanted to know if his grin was as big as mine, so I drew my face back to meet his. His expression was laced with adoration and I wondered if he could see the blush in my cheeks in the dim light. Overcome by embarrassment at throwing myself at him on what was to be considered the third date, I started to giggle. Quietly at first, but when I couldn't stop it became louder. Edward watched me with amusement, and warned me that Alice might wake up. Those were the calming words that I needed, and gave me the ability to stop myself. We were both grinning at each other like idiots by this stage, and I watched as Edward ducked his head again to lightly place a kiss on my lips again. This time there was sweetness to the kiss as we allowed it to linger. I could sense him pulling away when suddenly a voice made us both jump, and a light flickered on overhead.

"Isabella Swan! What-do-you-think-you-are-doing?" Out came Alice's rushed words.

A guilty smile swept across my face. "Nothing," I said innocently.

"Don't tell me 'nothing'! You were kissing Edward just now weren't you?"

I could feel Edward laughing as he tried to hide his head in the crook of my neck. We still had our arms wrapped around each other, and were standing awkwardly so that I could see Alice in the frame of the front door that I had forgotten to close.

"Yes," I admitted, watching as a scowl crept onto her delicate features.

"You're in a lot of trouble Miss! You too," she screeched, indicating Edward who was still hiding his head.

She stormed forward and grasped my arm, attempting to haul me inside. Edward stood upright at her movements and glared at her, holding me in place. Not wanting to create another argument between them, I placed my free hand on Edward's chest and indicated that he should let me go. His eyes never left Alice as he leaned down and brushed his lips against my forehead, making sure she saw him do it. A noise which sounded almost like a growl came from her direction. I gently tugged at his face when he pulled back, so he could look at me one last time.

"See you tomorrow Edward," I said, and smiled at him.

He returned my smile and released me. Alice pulled me behind her and told me to go back to my bedroom while she spoke to Edward. Her face was scathing, and I only hoped that his explanation worked on her as well as it did on me.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, or even if you didn't, let me know; reviews are my motivation. Next up, the dinner date. :)


	6. La Roma Belle

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

**December 17th**

As soon as I had reached my room after being caught by Alice, I sent Edward a text asking him how badly Alice had berated him and if I should consider sneaking out before her wrath became aimed in my direction. It took him a while to send a message back to me, but when he did he told me it was all fine and Alice was just over-reacting. Frustrated by her actions as well, I considered confronting her when she came to give me a piece of her mind, but she never came, and I fell asleep confused.

Morning rolled around quickly, and I found Alice sitting in the kitchen when I went to make breakfast. Refusing to make eye contact with her, I instead went about making a bowl of cereal. I was mentally preparing myself for having a yelling match with her, when I heard her speak in a quiet voice.

"Are you angry with me too?"

I didn't answer. I was still trying to find the courage to say what I had been planning to all night. Taking the seat directly across from her at the small dining table I could feel her watching me, so I took a deep breath and looked up at her. Her facial expression immediately caused all of my resolve to crumble. She appeared to be genuinely upset, with her forehead lined with worry.

"What's wrong Alice?" I asked with uncertainty.

She didn't answer my question. "I only did what I did to help Edward and you."

"What are you talking about Alice?" It was my turn to frown. "Are you talking about last night?"

"I'm talking about this whole thing. I just wanted it to be right for the two of you, so the experience could be true." Her voice was so soft I could barely hear it.

"I know Alice, I appreciate your help, I really do," I reached across the table and clasped her tiny hand in mine. "But you do know that your reaction last night was a little bit dramatic?"

She nodded and a tear fell down her cheek. "I guess that my quest for authenticity was too much. I just acted how I thought Charlie would have, you know? I mean he wouldn't have been impressed if he had found you in your pyjama's kissing Edward on the front porch. Especially considering how late it was."

I found myself agreeing with her as I thought about all the times I had nearly been caught with Edward at my house when he wasn't supposed to be there. "Yeah, you're right Alice. Except Charlie would have had a shotgun in hand."

She laughed at my joke, and I laughed along with her, happy to have her smiling. The moment didn't last long, however.

"I'm really sorry Bella, I won't do it anymore. You don't have to stick to the rules from now on." She hung her head.

"Aw Alice…" I left my chair and sprung to her side of the table, embracing her from behind in a tight hug. "You know I'm happy to have your assistance in this, and you've actually come up with some great ideas, no matter how annoying they are. It has made the dates interesting for Edward and I, and I was the one who asked for your help after all."

She clutched at my arms which were wrapped around her shoulders. "Do you forgive me?" She whispered.

I pulled my arms out from underneath hers, swung the chair around so that she was facing me and grasped her by her arms. "Forgive you for what? I'm not angry with you. I understand why you did what you did last night. It was just frustrating because we didn't do anything wrong," I sighed. "Did Edward explain the situation to you?"

"Uh-huh." She didn't continue.

"I know you had the best intentions Alice."

"And Edward was right in his conclusions about the kiss. That was incredibly thoughtful and nice what he did," she sniffed.

"Agreed," I sighed, my thoughts on the kiss. I knew that wasn't what she was referring to; Alice was meant the fact that he came to see me after he finished work, to make up for missing our date.

"My brother can be such a sap," she announced and we both laughed.

"So you do forgive me?" She asked, hopeful.

I looked her straight in the eye. "I say we make a truce. I'll stick to the rules you gave us, and you can pretend to be my friend instead of my mother - father; or whoever it was you were trying to be. Deal?"

She stuck her hand out for me to shake. "Deal!"

"Oh," I said, suddenly thoughtful of another issue. "Are you still able to help me get ready tonight?"

"Am I ever!" She screamed as shot out of her seat and barrelled into me in an attempt to hug me.

"Ow!" I exclaimed as her tiny chest hit mine. "You have a lot of strength for someone so small."

"I may be small, but I'm powerful," she said, pretending to flex her muscles.

I grinned at her and went back to my cereal.

"So... what did you say to Edward last night?" I queried as I sat down.

She let out a loud "ha" before convulsing with silent giggles. It was amusing watching her bob of short, spiky black hair bounce up and down as she tried to contain herself.

"I basically told him not to ruin your present," She explained when she finally calmed down. "And he told me that he was trying to give you the best experience he could."

I felt my heart miss a beat at her recollection of Edward's words. It made me feel all gooey inside that he was really trying, and it gave me hope that we wouldn't just go back to that rut once the dates were finished.

"He said he would have kissed you by the third date anyway if he had just started dating you, and that he didn't because of the rules." She spoke the words slowly and quietly, appraising my reaction.

My mouth was slightly agape in astonishment and I forgot how to breathe for a moment.

"He really does love you Bella," she continued. "I don't think I've realised just how much until now. I'm so happy it was you he found, I can't imagine any one that deserves him more."

"Oh Alice," I breathed. "You'll make me cry."

"You should be smiling Bella. You know you're like a sister to me, I just can't wait for the day when I can actually call you one."

"Thanks Alice," I said wiping at my moist eyes. "That was such an incredibly sweet thing to say."

"Well," she replied, gliding over to me and placing a kiss on my cheek. "I just thought you should know."

---

Much like yesterday, the day limped past in a hazy blur. If you asked me to recall certain parts of my day I would fail enormously. To say I was distracted was an understatement. Thank goodness for Alice being prepared and ready to dress me up like a human doll. She was a master at making the simplest outfits extraordinary, and tonight was no exception. Since we didn't know where Edward was taking me, Alice decided to go for semi-formal. She pinned my hair up in an elegant bun, with wisps of my hair framing my face, and a jewelled comb to hold it in place. My make-up was more than what I would wear if I had applied it myself, but she had somehow made it look natural, with the exception of my rose coloured lips. Alice didn't show me the dress she had chosen until I was ready to wear it. It was a simple black, strapless dress which flowed to just above my knees. There was a small embellishment on the bodice: several small buttons were lined up from the top of the dress to the waist, and surrounded by two frills approximately ten centimetres apart; a small piece of ribbon also ran around the waist and formed a tiny bow at the front. The material had a satin sheen to it, and glided over my body when I put it on; hugging my frame without being too tight. I was delighted with her choice when I had the chance to overlook myself in the mirror, I felt beautiful wearing it and I eagerly awaited Edward's reaction to me. After checking me over to make sure the dress looked just right, Alice handed me a pair of low-heeled, strappy black shoes. Thankful that she didn't give me ridiculously high heels, I gave her a warm hug. She smiled, glad that I hadn't created a fuss about her dressing me like I normally would.

Alice had used her time well, with Edward arriving less than five minutes after she had finished. She told me to wait in the bedroom whilst she ushered Edward inside. I chewed on my bottom lip nervously, waiting for Alice to come back and take me to him. She returned shortly, and danced across the room to where I was sitting on the bed; her face plastered with a huge grin.

"Come on Bella," she said, grabbing my hand.

She led me out to the lounge room where Edward stood with his back to us. When he heard us walk in he turned around. I blushed as he took in my appearance; his eyes widening and his mouth twisting his into the crooked grin that I loved. Any attempt to calm myself was thwarted as I looked him over. He was wearing a midnight blue dress shirt, which stretched across his chest, showing off his pectoral muscles; and black pants which had a faint crease in them, as if they had been pressed. I raised my eyebrows at the thought that Edward might have ironed them as such a task would have normally been left for me. He was also holding his thick grey woollen coat.

Alice left the room to give us some privacy, and Edward closed the small distance between us, grasping my hand and raising it to his lips.

"Good evening Bella," he murmured, kissing the back of my hand lightly. "You look simply... ravishing."

I blushed again, and smiled out of embarrassment. "Thank you Edward. You look quite appetising yourself," I answered, returning his choice of words.

He chuckled and tugged me gently towards him so he could kiss my forehead. He planted little kisses around my face and finally settled on my lips. I placed my hands on his back and pulled him closer to me, desperately needing to be close to him. He broke the kiss and gazed down at me.

Moments like these made me wish that I had thought of this idea earlier. Edward and I had always been close, emotionally as well as physically, however part of me had forgotten how intense we once were; how overly affectionate Edward could be; and how much I loved to just be in his arms. So many memories flooded back to me in that instance, as he stared into my eyes with a tight grip around my waist. Although I had never actually had another boyfriend, I knew that no one else could ever compare. He was all I had wanted when I was a teenager, and nothing had changed since.

"Are you ready to leave?" He asked, breaking the silenced moment.

Just then Alice bounded back into the room, as if she been waiting and listening at the door.

"Not without your jacket Bella." She stated and handed me a silky black, feminine version of a tuxedo jacket and my purse.

Edward swiftly removed the jacket from my hands and walked behind me. He lifted my arms and slid the material over my skin slowly, as if he was reluctant to cover up my bare arms. When he finally placed it on completely, he skimmed his hands up my back and adjusted my collar so that it lay flat against the neck of the jacket. I could feel his breath on my hair and in my ear; tingling the sensitive nerves on the base of my hairline. It took all of my self control to not turn around and thrust myself upon him, the knowledge that Alice was still in the room kept me at bay. This was the first instance where I found myself unsure of my ability to stick to the game plan of the dates, it simply would not bode well for Edward and I to sleep together in what would be considered the early days of a relationship. Even so, a part of me was willing to throw that all in; I would have to keep my reactions in check tonight.

"Shall we?" He whispered, his nose grazing my earlobe.

I shivered and sunk a little towards the ground. He was teasing me and he knew it, the quiet laughter I could feel emanating from him confirmed my thoughts.

Sighing I turned to face him, buttoning the two buttons at the base of the jacket, and said "Let's go."

He gestured one hand in front of him towards the door, motioning for me to walk first. I did so, stopping to give Alice a quick hug and to thank her once again.

"You two just have fun tonight, ok?" She said to me, and turned to Edward. "And take good care of her Brother."

Edward grinned at her, and swept towards me, "Oh I'll take perfectly good care of Bella."

His tone thrilled and frightened me at the same time. Controlling myself was definitely going to be difficult.

---

Edward took me to an expensive Italian restaurant. I eyed him as we drove up, wondering why in the world he would bring me here. It wasn't an issue of money, it was more the overt fanciness of the place; I wasn't certain I would be all that comfortable dining here. Instead of answering my questioning gaze, he simply gave me his smile and ushered me inside.

The restaurant, La Roma Belle, was incredibly formal. The waiters addressed us by our surnames, poured our drinks and were eloquently polite. I constantly blushed whenever I was referred to as Miss Swan; I had never had an experience like this before. Edward answered their questions with a grin, barely removing his eyes from me, and whenever my cheeks turned red, he would squeeze my hand which he had refused to let go of since we entered the restaurant.

Edward ordered entrée's for us while I took in my surroundings. The walls were covered in beautiful wallpaper: red with green vines shooting across it, and what appeared to be grapes hanging delicately from wisps of the stems. The ceiling was high and magnificently painted in a likeness that was reminiscent of photos of the Sistine Chapel; angels and other figures floated around in puffs of clouded sky. Beneath me the carpet was a deep crimson red, which matched the fabric that wrapped the plush chairs. Despite being clothed in a beautiful dress which made me look amazing, I felt insignificant in the elaborate setting, and I was thankful for being seated in a corner where I could hide from the other patrons.

Our waiter came back and set down our antipasto dish on the lace tablecloth, along with bread sticks. I grabbed one of the bread sticks hungrily, chomping half of one down before remembering that I should eat politely. I excused myself to Edward who seemed to find me amusing, and finished the rest in a less hasty manner.

Although Edward appeared to be enjoying himself at my expense, I could hardly stay angry at him since he had made such a big effort tonight. It was more than I had expected actually, and I wondered what possessed him to bring me somewhere so expensive. I had deliberately, despite Edward's objections, ordered the least expensive meal on the menu, which was 'Mushroom Ravioli'. Edward much to my astonishment had decided to sample the 'Scallops Scampi' with risotto and a side of oysters. I couldn't remember when I had last seen him eat non-red meat – Edward had a penchant for any animal that weighed more than he did. Perhaps _he _was trying to move outside his comfort zone as well.

After having his run of playfully taunting me with his eyes over my actions, Edward joined me in eating the antipasto. I tried the wine that Edward had selected – red, with a woody and bitter taste to it. It certainly wasn't my particular type of alcohol, but since it was Edward's choice, I decided to be polite and not complain.

Tonight was predominantly easy in terms of conversation flow; much easier than the previous two dates, with all of the past awkwardness dissolving when we began to talk. I had a feeling it was due to our ability to have intimate little moments without having to be concerned about whether it was appropriate or breaking the rules.

I tried to concentrate on him tonight, watching the little motions that he made, irregardless of how well I knew them: running his fingers through his hair when he was nervous; pinching the bridge of his nose when he was superbly annoyed; throwing his head back when he laughed; and caressing my hand, still enclosed in his, with his thumb whenever we shared a tender moment. Although I knew every one of his little movements intimately, it was interesting to make myself aware of them again, and in turn it made me more aware of Edward.

We tucked in when the waiter finally brought our main course. The ravioli was succulently better than any pasta dish I had ever made. I tried Edward's as well, which was actually quite nice, although I refused to touch the oysters; the slimy texture of them had always turned me off. We chowed through dinner in rapid time, with Edward insisting we try dessert when we had finished. I ate my way through half of my plate of tiramisu, while Edward polished off a rather large slice of chocolate mud cake. By this time, I realised that I had almost drunk my way through three glasses of wine, and I was beginning to feel quite warm and flushed. Edward on the other hand had barely touched his second glass, most likely conscious of having to drive.

When the table was cleared for the last time, Edward stood up, and reached over to pull me to my feet. I questioned him with my eyes, wondering why we were leaving so suddenly, when I realised that we weren't heading for the door, rather we were headed for a small section of the restaurant with a polished wooden floor. The alcohol in my system caused me to react slower than normal. I placed a hand on Edward's chest, telling him to stop as he attempted to lead me into the centre of the floor.

"Please try not to be so stubborn Bella," he pleaded, knowing exactly why I was hesitant.

"Edward," I whined, feeling the heat of the wine flame my face. "You know I don't dance."

"I know, but there are times when it is obligatory for you to, so think of this as practice."

He pulled me towards him so we were chest to chest.

"When would that be?" I asked puzzled about when I could possibly be forced to dance other than now.

His face lit up with a coy grin, but he refused to answer my question. Instead, he guided my left hand to his shoulder, and grasped my right so that it was positioned in line with our shoulders. His right arm pulled me tight around my waist, as close as he could hold me, then relaxed his hand and let it slide downwards so that it was resting just above my tailbone. Slowly he began to move us around the tiny dance floor, stepping in time with the rhythm of the music. I reached up and kissed him on the lips, there was a faint trace of the chocolate still lingering there, and I licked my lips to taste it. Edward smiled at me, and gently pushed me away from him, lifting his arm to spin me around. I almost made the full rotation without stumbling, but in the last second of the turn I felt the effects of the wine rush to my head, and I fell lightly onto Edward. I giggled as he ensured I stayed on my feet.

"Bella, are you drunk?" He asked with a smirk.

"No," I answered, frowning. "I'm just a little bit tipsy." I indicated how much with my fingers.

He laughed at my response and tugged at my arms so that they rested around his neck, and resumed dancing.

"What am I going to do with you?" He murmured as I rested my forehead on his chest.

"Keep me," I muttered, unable to think of anything else to say.

He tilted his head down so that his mouth was next to my ear.

"I think I just might do that," he whispered, and began to kiss me along my neck.

"But you have to take me home tonight," I conceded, thinking about how he couldn't keep me to himself for the entire night.

"You want me to take you back to my place?" He asked teasingly, pointing out the ambiguity of my choice of words, while still pressing his lips along my jaw line.

I was momentarily silenced by his actions as I struggled to fight the desire that was building in me, which was fuelled by the alcohol as much as it was by Edward.

"No," I forced myself to say. "Alice's house, I have to stay at her house."

I didn't tell him I would rather stay with him; it would only encourage him more.

I let out a long sigh. "Eight more days," I whispered to myself, in an attempt at reassurance.

"Pardon?" Edward asked, obviously hearing me.

I smiled into his chest, and shook my head, using his temporary distraction from kissing me to try and clear my mind.

"Tell me Bella," he insisted, resuming his torture of adoration.

I shook my head again. It was becoming difficult to feel my feet, and I was positive I was placing almost all of my weight on Edward. He didn't appear to mind however as he continued to spin us. I closed my eyes and made an attempt to focus on the affection he was showing me. Even in my intoxicated state, I was mildly surprised by just how much he was immersing me in adulation. I desperately wanted to ensure I remembered this moment; the fear of slipping back into our old, comfortable ways still lying beneath the surface. A part of me suddenly realised that I should reciprocate and show Edward just how much I loved him, especially since it wasn't entirely clear when we were allowed to say it to one another.

I made a feeble attempt to raise my head to his chin, and began to feel the full force of the wine as I made to kiss his jaw. I stopped moving my feet and Edward stopped with me. Opening my eyes, I couldn't tell if it was Edward or me that still swayed, so I gripped him tighter, only to realise that it wasn't either one of us; my mind had turned the room into a carousel, spinning slowly in circles while the furniture bobbed up and down. I closed my eyes again and groaned.

"Edward, I don't think I can dance anymore." The words slipped off my tongue in a rushed manner.

I felt Edward loosed his grip on my waist, and I swaggered to the side briefly until he gripped my shoulders and pulled me beside him. I looked at him through one opened eye, and watched as apprehension crowded his features.

"I think I should get you home." He spoke with a worried tone, and there was no innuendo in the definition of home this time around.

I tried to agree, but couldn't force the words out, so I simply smiled instead. He responded by frowning at me, so I did the same. He seemed too worried for my liking. It wasn't as if I had never been drunk before, although it was an infrequent occurrence. I placed a finger on the creased lines of his forehead and tried to push them up so that they were smooth again. Initially he frowned more, then stopped when he realised what I was trying to do.

"I do believe, Miss Swan, that you are very intoxicated," he said, turning me towards our table, and grasping me by the waist so I wouldn't fall as we walked.

He gingerly sat me down in my chair and signalled to the waiter for the cheque. Meanwhile, I was overcome by a fit of the giggles, and grabbed my napkin to try and hide my face behind it. Edward stared at me, bemused, and muttered something about me being incapacitated. I shot him a dead glare and attempted to punch him lightly on the shoulder, which resulted in me nearly spilling out of my chair. When Edward had straightened me up again, I decided not to move for fear of making a scene. Intoxicated or not, I was still aware that I was in a posh restaurant.

After Edward paid, we walked to the car. It was a long and slow crawl, and every step I took seemed intent on causing my head to pound. I don't remember getting into the car, or putting my seatbelt on, only the rush of cool air as the vehicle began to move.

The breeze washing over me sobered me up somewhat, and I apologised to Edward for ruining the night.

"Nonsense, you didn't ruin anything," he said as I turned to him.

Something appeared to be out of place in his expression. If I didn't know Edward better, I would think something was wrong.

"Edward, is everything ok?" I asked, studying his face.

"Yeah, I just don't think I should have eaten that entire slice of cake," he said, clutching his stomach as he spoke.

If ever Edward had a vice, it would be gluttony. He could never stop eating; however he ate as healthily as possible and went to the gym a couple of times a week to make up for it.

I laid my head back against the head rest and shut my eyes. I must have nodded off because the next thing I realised we were back at Alice's and Edward was gently shaking me awake. I lazily turned my head in his direction and became instantly startled by his appearance. In the twenty minutes it had taken to get home, his face had become drawn and pale.

"Edward!" I exclaimed, snapping my head up. "You look ill."

"It's ok Bella, I'll go home and sleep it off," he said in an unconvincing tone.

Seeing Edward so ghastly briefly shocked the drunkenness from my system. I reached over to feel his forehead and found that he was burning up.

"My gosh, you're getting a fever," I yelped, failing to keep the note of panic out of my voice.

Edward grabbed my hand from his forehead and kissed it. "I'll be fine Bella, honestly."

I remained sceptical, and kept staring at him with unease. He shrugged off my idea that he should come inside for a while, and got out of the car, coming around to the passenger side to assist me.

As soon as my feet hit the pavement, I again felt the full effects of the alcohol and had to hold onto the door to steady myself. It was Edward's turn to show alarm, but I refused to have a bar of it. Edward being sick far outweighed my intoxication.

I fumbled through my purse as we made it to the front door, attempting to find my keys while arguing with Edward over his current state of health. He steadfastly refused to stay at Alice's for the night despite my stubborn efforts. I conceded defeat when I finally fished my keys out of my purse.

"Ok Edward. Go home, but call me first thing in the morning and let me know how you are." I demanded.

"Oh, and call your dad too," I added as an afterthought. Edward's dad, Carlisle, was a doctor.

Edward chuckled at my instructions.

"Aye, aye, captain," he said mockingly.

I poked him in the ribs for being so annoying and immediately regretted it as his face contorted with pain.

"You better get home before you get worse," I insisted.

He nodded his agreement.

"Will you be ok getting to your room?" He asked me.

I waved him off, "I'll be fine. If I need help I'll yell for Alice."

He seemed satisfied and briefly kissed me on the forehead before returning to his car. I watched as he got in and turned the engine. When he realised I was still outside, he pointed towards the house and mouthed 'inside'. I sighed and turned back to the door, twisting the key in the lock until it opened. I gave Edward one last glance, waved goodbye, and stepped inside, hoping like hell that he would be alright.


End file.
